Promise of Winter
by Dhaturas
Summary: A new weapons shop opens at downtown Vale run by a pair of mysterious siblings. As the embers of another great fire begin to spread across Vale, the fate of Remnant will be decided by a promise made in Winter.
1. Red and White

On the southeastern outskirts of Vale, a wilderness teeming with Grimm, a certain boy was out for a casual stroll. Midnight black body armor over his chest, scarlet red garments covering his limbs, the boy unsheathed a pair of black and white dao swords.

The darkness around him growled. Bloodshot red eyes burned in the shadows. Creatures of Grimm gathered in droves, surrounding the boy. The air turned colder. The light seemingly sucked in by the black fur of Beowolves and Ursas.

Blue motes of light floated around the boy. Lines of power ran down his arms, traveling all over his body. His gold eyes turned silver. His red hair bleached white. His skin seared tan.

"Trace on."

* * *

 _RED meets RED..._

"Unlimited Blade Works?" Ruby rolled the name off her tongue. Her silver eyes quietly drinking in the new shop's appearance.

The store had opened in what had once been a dust shop. The previous owners suffered a dust robbery from a group she believed to be the White Fang and had since then left the space open. It came as a surprise to the girl when a new store opened so soon, especially one with such a cool name. Over the glass windows, the image of two dao swords crossed. Her eyes widened at what she saw inside. Weapons galore.

Ruby opened the wooden door, ringing the bell attached to it in the process.

"Welcome to Unlimited Blade Works! How may I help you?" A guy who didn't look too older than her greeted her from the counter.

He was pretty tall, standing a good head taller than her. His hair was red, redder than her own. His eyes were gold and eager to please. From the name tag on his black apron, Ruby read the name 'Shirou'.

Ruby couldn't help herself. She began looking around the shop, hopping from one corner to the other, sending a few rose petals into the air. The shelves by the wall displayed several weapon parts, most of them blades, some gear mechanisms. There were a lot of weapons, swords of different designs and types, some bow and arrows, some shields. Ruby had to remind herself not to drool.

"Miss?" Shirou prompted behind her. The guy had left the counter to cater to her needs.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Ruby said, realizing she had ignored the guy. "This shop sells weapons, right?"

"Yes," Shirou said with a neutral face. "Here at UBW, we sell just about any type of weapon. We have plenty of spare parts and completed works as well. We also handle any project requests and weapon maintenance."

Ruby nodded. This place seemed so cool. Being surrounded by so many weapons, Ruby couldn't help but smile in awe.

Shirou though kept a stern face. His look neither positive nor negative, only serious. "Can I help you with anything, dear customer? How about some maintenance for your scythe?"

"You can tell what Crescent Rose is?" Ruby smiled, pulling out her beloved weapon from her back. "It's also a-"

"High-power sniper rifle, right?"

Ruby stopped in her tracks for a moment, before nodding her head fervently. "Right, right! That's amazing; you understand my baby!" She unsheathed her 'baby' into scythe form, carefully swinging it a few times. There was a surprising amount of space in the shop.

A small smile finally crept on the corner of Shirou's face. His gold eyes lit up at Crescent Rose, studying its entire make-up, its history and its functions.

"It's a beautiful weapon. The quirks to it are a mirror of the owner's personality. You built it yourself, right?"

"Yup! How can you tell?" Ruby asked. Her evaluation of Shirou steadily increased.

"Call it a gut feeling. You've put a lot of love into it. It's been diligently maintained too."

"Of course," Ruby grinned. She recalled all those free periods she spent cleaning her weapon, her treasure. "Which is why I'm not really sure there's a lot you can do to it."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. If you're fine with it, I could take it up a notch or two for you. Free of charge." Shirou offered with a warm smile.

"Really? You'd do that? Didn't you just open though?"' Ruby asked. This Shirou guy seemed to know a great deal about weapons, so she was curious about what the improvements he could do to it. But she still didn't want to interfere with the store's grand opening.

"It's because we're just opening," Shirou walked to the counter, silently urging Ruby to follow him. The girl collapsed her scythe and placed it on the counter.

"Because our store is so new, no one's really sure of what we have to offer. You're actually our first customer today. Really, we'll be in trouble if we don't make any sales soon." He grimaced at the thought of losing his business. "So, by doing some work on Crescent Rose here, UBW would actually be getting some free advertising in your next fight."

Shirou smirked, folding his arms confidently. "Of course, I'll promise you only our best work, miss. What do you say?"

"That sounds great! But I need my weapon for school, so I can't leave it here for long." Ruby frowned.

"Don't worry. I could do it in maybe, half an hour?" He rubbed his chin.

Truth be told, maintenance would only take a few minutes, but Shirou needed to keep up appearances.

"All right then, Shirou, you've got a deal," She gently nudged her weapon to him.

"I'll take good care of it, Miss…?" He prompted, accepting the commission from his first ever customer.

"Just call me Ruby."

* * *

 _WHITE meets WHITE..._

"Unlimited Blade Works! For all your weaponry and Grimm fighting needs, come to Unlimited Blade Works!" A chipper white haired girl called out in Vale public square.

Amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Vale, a little girl was handing out fliers with an adorable smile. Her doll-like beauty caught several eyes.

Illyasviel von Einzbern kept her chin up. It had been a few hours since she started her job of handing out fliers. So far, she had received mixed responses. While her cute looks brought in a lot of attention, the looks people gave her changed when they learned what she was advertising. They all gave her the same look, apprehension and aversion.

It was worse than she originally thought it would be. Vale was a major city, one of the few truly safe havens on Remnant. As such, its residents were too comfortable in peace. There was no urgency for high caliber weaponry so long as the Grimm were away. The girl would have been better off handing out fliers for a cute maid cafe instead. But her brother had insisted on the weapons shop.

Illya's cat ears drooped. Her white tail sadly swayed in the air. At this rate, UBW would go in the red. They'd go out of business and it'd be back to the wilderness for them…

"Ah," Illya switched back to smiling cheerfully, "for all your Grimm fighting and self-defense purposes, come to UBW!"

Red eyes met pristine blue eyes. Illya politely offered a flier to a girl several leagues taller than her. The girl wore a double breasted white jacket trimmed with black lace. Her long hair was tied in a side ponytail. Her hair was snow white just like Illya's own.

"Please visit UBW for all your weaponry needs, miss," Illya smiled amicably, noting the sword tied to the girl's waist.

Weiss Schnee stared at the piece of paper being handed to her. She glanced at the little girl's cat ears and red eyes. Were it not for those features, Weiss could've mistaken the girl for a Schnee. Confusion painted her face. What was a little girl doing working for a weapon's store?

"Miss?" Illya tilted her head. Her cat ears wiggled curiously.

Weiss hunched her shoulders. That face, that porcelain skin, those white cat ears. If cuteness ever crystallized into dust, this girl was a gem, faunus or not.

"T,thank you," Weiss accepted the flier, finally getting a hold of herself. This was no good. She was the Schnee heiress. She needed to show more restraint.

"May I ask for your name?" Weiss asked cordially.

The question flipped a switch in the girl. Out of habit, she took a step back and curtsied with the hem of her white skirt. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. But you may just call me Illya, miss."

Weiss held back a squeal. "It is nice to meet you, Illya. My name is Weiss Schnee. Please call me Weiss," she returned the gesture, introducing herself with a curtsy. "Might I ask, why is a young girl such as yourself out here working?"

Illya smiled. It wasn't the first time she'd been asked this. "I'm helping out with my brother's store. We just recently opened and still need as many customers as we can."

"I see," Weiss nodded. So, the girl wasn't being abused. She was just helping out with the family business. Somehow, that struck a chord with her. She looked over the flier in her hands. Nothing too grand, just a piece of paper detailing the services UBW had to offer. At the back, a map to the store was drawn.

"This place is…"

"Oh? You know it, miss?" Illya said. "Brother opened a store in an old dust shop's space. The last store there got robbed. But don't worry, it's safe now. My brother is strong!" Illya beamed up at her with innocence.

Weiss frowned at the prospect of this girl's store being robbed. "UBW, huh? I suppose I could check it out. My sword could always use a good polishing."

"Oh, you won't regret it, Miss Weiss. My brother works likes magic on swords!" Illya assured her.

Weiss figured a little exaggeration was only customary for store promotion. "Wonderful. Would you be free to accompany me right now?"

She said the words without properly thinking. Wouldn't Illya naturally be too busy handing out fliers to personally escort her to the store? But she couldn't help but want to spend more time with the adorable girl.

Illya placed a finger on her chin, weighing her options. At the end of the day, one girl with a sword strapped to her waist had more worth as a customer than a dozen passersby giving her weird looks.

"Okay, Miss Weiss, just follow me," Illya said delightedly. Her first customer, get!

"Just Weiss is fine, Illya," Weiss smiled. "Lead the way."

* * *

"Shirou! I brought a new customer," Illya called out to UBW. Her high pitched voice rang across the store.

Over by the weapons stack, a girl with red hair flailed at the sudden intrusion. Her hands frantically catching the weapons she knocked down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting any customers," Illya apologized matter of fact, not even flinching at the harshness of her own words.

Weiss, on the other hand, frowned. Was the store in that much trouble?

Illya pouted. Shirou was nowhere in sight, which meant he was working on a project in the back. She huffed in disappointment. Her onii-chan should always be waiting to greet her back.

"I'm sorry, Weiss," Illya said, giving the customer behind her an apologetic look, "Would you please wait here, while I get my brother?" She excused herself, before making her way to the back.

"It's no problem, Illya," Weiss assured the girl. She stepped into the store and took stalk. They certainly weren't kidding with the name 'unlimited blades'. Weiss raised a brow. At the store counter, fiddling with weapon parts, was that?

"Ruby?" Weiss greeted her partner, surprise clear in her tone as she walked to the girl.

"Weiss?" Ruby said, equally surprised. "I didn't think I'd see you here. Are you here to see the weapons they have too?"

"Of course not," Weiss did her best to keep calm, in spite of her partner's excitement. She leaned in close to Ruby's ear and whispered. "I was won over by the most clever marketing strategy and came to check out this new establishment."

"I see. That must have been some good strategy if it could get you to come here." Ruby nodded.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Ruby hastily excused.

She was saved by the sound of footsteps at the counter. Her precious weapon, Crescent Rose, in its compact form was placed on the counter table. "It's done," the guy at the counter said, satisfied.

"Shirou, how's my baby looking?" Ruby made a bee line for her weapon, forgetting the Schnee heiress.

"Give it a try for yourself and see," Shirou said, folding his arms proudly.

Ruby took Crescent Rose into her hands gingerly. Her eyes widened. She made sure to use the right amount of force, but the weapon felt…!

She extended her weapon into scythe form. There was no doubt now. Against all of Ruby's common sense, Crescent Rose felt lighter in her hands. The usually heavy scythe almost feeling weightless in her arms, like it had become an extension of her body, in perfect harmony. Then she noticed the glint of the scythe's blade. She could tell from just looking, the blade's edge had become even sharper. How was that even possible?

"Shirou, it's amazing! I love it!" Ruby played with her scythe, twirling it around the room's open spaces.

"Glad you like it. I pulled out all stops on the job. I made it lighter, sharper and sturdier." Shirou smiled, proud of himself. "And if you check, changing between forms should be much faster now."

Just as he said, Crescent Rose switched from scythe form to sniper to compact form in a snap. Ruby laughed gleefully.

Weiss made careful assessment of Ruby's newly refurbished weapon. Indeed, it was impressive. Her evaluation of the store quickly rose.

"As expected of Shirou," an imperious voice spoke from the back. Illya joined them at the counter, her hands on her hips. Her cat tail swayed high in the air. "Weiss, would you like to have your sword checked over as well?"

Shirou then noticed the girl in white. His attention had been dominated by the girl who was playfully swinging her red scythe left and right. "I'm sorry. What can I do for you, miss?"

Weiss noted the distinct lack of faunus features on Shirou. And yet, Illya had definitely called him her brother. "Yes, I would like you to look over my sword as well."

She presented Myrtenaster to the man. Shirou's eyes brushed over the weapon. "A wonderful sword. The craftsmanship on it is exquisite."

Shirou glanced to Illya for half a second before looking at Weiss. "I'll take good care of it. It'll take half an hour, no charge."

"What?" Weis was taken aback. What the man was offering would defeat her purpose. "No, I insist. I will pay the proper amount, just name your price."

"Mou, Shirou, we'll never turn a profit with that attitude of yours," Illya complained.

"But she's our second customer, we should treat her-"

"Like a proper customer, right? You already made a special exception for customer number one, correct?" The tone Illya used left no room for arguments.

Shirou sighed. His soft golden eyes melted warm. "Then how does a hundred Lien sound, miss?"

"That will be perfectly fine," Weiss answered, paying up front. That much money wouldn't even leave a dent in her allowance.

"You won't regret it, Weiss," Illya said.

"I know I didn't," Ruby chimed in. Crescent Rose now folded behind her waist, she joined the rest of them. "Thanks again for the free maintenance, Shirou." She noticed the little girl beside the guy. "Hello, my name is Ruby. You are?"

The same switch was flipped twice in one day and Illya curtsied. "I am Illyasviel von Einzbern. I am Shirou's sister. Please call me Illya."

"Nice to meet you, Illya."

"Likewise, Ruby."

"I'll be at the back," Shirou spoke as he took the rapier with him. "Illya, would you mind entertaining our customers for a while?"

"Not at all," Illya answered excitedly.

"Behave," Shirou reminded her. The girl still had a habit of displaying sociopathic tendencies which would just be bad for business.

"Mou, I know already, Shirou," Illya pouted, her cheeks puffing.

The two customers held back a squeal. This girl was such a doll.

* * *

The calming scent of green tea filled the shop. On a table to the side, a discrete tea set was billowing smoke. Three girls sat around the table, each one holding a cup of tea. It was a strange sight to behold, a tea party inside a weapon's shop. The girls had been chatting for a while now, waiting for Shirou's maintenance to finish.

"So, you and your brother aren't from around here?" Ruby asked Illya. Her free hand tinkered with a small gear mechanism she picked up from the shelves.

"Nope, Shirou and I came from place called Fuyuki," Illya answered as she sipped her tea.

"Fuyuki? Is that a far away village?" Weiss asked. She had never heard of the place before. The names of small far away settlements rarely ever reached her ears though.

"Yes, it's far, far away from here in the east," Illya stared at her tea, her own reflection blankly gazing at her. "Life there was difficult and dangerous, especially at night. But it was home…"

"What brought you to Vale then?" Ruby let curiosity get the best of her. Though Weiss frowned at her partner.

"Hehe, it was Shirou's idea actually," Illya laughed a bit with a sad smile. "There were some bad people coming after me, you see. Shirou wanted to protect me and thought it was safer to run away to a major city. We were lucky to get into Vale so easily."

Illya hadn't really prepared that answer beforehand even though she had expected to be asked that question at some point. She could've made any excuse she wanted but on a whim, she decided it wouldn't hurt to be a little more honest.

Ruby and Weiss however took the news solemnly. From the face Illya made, they could tell the girl blamed herself for the move to Vale. The little girl's reasons were serious. But why would anyone want to harm an innocent little girl?

The two huntresses in training found their answer sitting atop Illya's head, a pair of cat ears twitching every now and then.

Ruby and Weiss became silent. They knew faunus discrimination was a real problem in society. But to hear the problem was so strong as to force a refugee out of a child, it hit them rather hard.

"This tea is really good," Ruby said, trying to diffuse the awkward tension in the air.

Illya quickly noticed the somber atmosphere in the shop. "Of course, Shirou brewed it himself." Illya proudly boasted about her brother again.

Weiss placed her cup on the table and looked Illya dead in the eye. She froze for a moment, as she sucked in her breath. "It doesn't matter what you are, Illya. Faunus or human. You're still a person. You deserve every bit of respect as humans do."

The words were a bit coarse, but Weiss managed to get them out of her mouth. She still had some misgivings with the faunus. But she wasn't about to let that stop her from being kind to a child.

Illya's red eyes shook a bit at Weiss' words.

 _Did she know?_

The older girl may not have realized it, but her words resonated with Illya's past more than she had expected. A few tears fell from Illya's face, she smiled gratefully at the Schnee.

"Thank you, Weiss. That means a lot," Illya thanked Weiss from the bottom of her heart.

Weiss flushed at the sight of the cute girl's tears. "It's nothing."

"Oh, Weiss you've come so far…." Ruby teased her friend.

"Silence."

Ruby giggled. In the past, she and her team had such a difficult time when one of their teammates had revealed herself to be a faunus. But now, here she was, Weiss Schnee comforting a faunus girl all on her own.

After that, the awkward barrier of platitudes and politeness was thrown out the window. Illya began speaking with less reserve like a normal kid.

"So, you two are huntresses?" Illya asked them.

"Yup."

"Not yet."

Illya tilted her head in confusion.

"What Ruby meant to say is that we're still huntresses-in-training, which is completely different. We're still learning at Beacon Academy." Weiss corrected.

"Right, right. I sometimes forget that." Ruby grinned.

"Oh, I see. So, you're both students. What's it like? Going to school?" Illya asked. Her eyes stared into theirs, looking curious.

"Well, classes are sometimes boring, the schoolwork they have us do is also a hassle," Ruby's silver eyes sank into a corner a bit. "But going to school, meeting new friends, forming a team, it's a lot of fun. Right, Weiss?"

"Yes, despite certain setbacks, being in a team with you and the others hasn't been so bad."

"You're making me blush," Ruby deadpanned.

Illya laughed. The two new customers were a lot more interesting than she initially thought. The way they teasingly bickered with each other, reminded Illya of a pair of sisters who were complete opposites with one another.

It must have been nice, Illya thought. To be a normal girl and attend school, even a combat school for training huntsmen.

But Illya would never be normal, not in this world or the one before.

* * *

 _NIGHT..._

"How were the customers today, Illya?" Shirou asked his sister while washing the dishes. He placed the newly cleaned ones at the side.

Illya took a clean dish and wiped the water off with a piece of cloth. "They were really nice. They told me a lot of stories too."

Shirou smiled. He was glad Illya was getting along with others now. She hadn't always been like this. "That's good. Did you tell them anything about us?"

Just to keep up appearances, the two of them needed to make sure their cover stories were consistent. Any careless mistakes could cost them their customer's trust.

"Yes, I gave them the story we both agreed on. The two of us came from a village far away from here," Illya recalled her words and wiped another dish dry. "They took it at face value wonderfully."

Shirou felt a familiar sinister aura from Illya. "Most people do take things at face value, Illya."

"Are you saying I'm not normal, Shirou?"

"Neither of us are normal."

Illya nodded her head. Her long hair tickled Shirou's arms. Being in a small kitchen, that was only natural.

"Does that mean I'm special, Onii-chan?" Illya looked up to Shirou, a devilish smile on her face.

"Of course, Illya. You're my one and only sister," Shirou said without hesitation.

Illya harrumphed. She leaned her head onto Shirou's arm. His toned muscles steadying her. "That wasn't really the answer I was hoping for. But I suppose that works for now."

Shirou chuckled a bit at his sister's antics, before he eventually sighed. "Illya, how long do you plan on wearing those?"

He finished the final dish and washed his hands. He pointed accusingly at her cat ears. "You know how this place discriminates faunus kind, right? It's not like you really need them to blend in anyway."

Illya shook her head. "You just don't understand, Shirou," Illya raised her chin and wiped the last of the dishes, her eyes closed. "I am well aware of the dangers of pretending to be a cat faunus. But you see, there exists a single reason that supersedes all other concerns."

Shirou's ears perked.

"They are cute! And cute makes right!" Illya boldly declared. She placed the last dish to the side and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I admit they look cute on you but-"

"But nothing! That's more than enough for me to wear them."

"Illya…" Shirou sighed, knowing there was no arguing with his sister when she got like this. He could only smile as he ruffled the vivacious little girl's head.

With the dishes cleaned and wiped, the siblings soon found themselves sitting on their sofa together.

"Life here is peaceful," Shirou commented, staring up at the close by ceiling. Their living space wasn't so large to afford them much free air space.

Illya nodded, rubbing her head against Shirou's shoulders, enjoying his warmth. "Except for those dust shop thefts…"

"Yeah, that's why I'm having such a hard time buying dust."

"Do we need dust?" Illya placed her hand on Shirou's.

Shirou hummed to himself before saying, "It wouldn't hurt to offer our customers a few selections for ammo."

"But we've only got two customers."

"Don't remind me…" Shirou released another sigh that night. "Ruby and Weiss, right?"

"Yes, they seem like good people. But Shirou, just the two of them aren't going to be enough to support this shop." Illya raised her voice a bit.

"I know, Illya."

"Furthermore,"

"Hm?" Shirou blinked.

Illya pinched her brother's left arm. "I'm worried you'll fall for one of our customers."

"What?!" Shirou's shoulders tensed. His red hair stood on edge.

"Offering a girl a free upgrade, Shirou? A cute one at that? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to make a move?" Illya's red eyes stared at Shirou suspiciously.

Shirou scratched the back of his head, chuckling nervously. "I promise you I did that with the most noble of intentions. I can't imagine myself falling for anyone."

"Shirou…" Illya's cat ears drooped at those words.

"Besides, you're more than a handful already, Illya. A girlfriend just isn't possible." Shirou noticed the change in the girl's ears and patted her head gently.

"I don't know how to react to that." Illya mumbled, tucking her mouth in the folds of Shirou's shirt.

Shirou chuckled awkwardly. "Well, no matter what happens. I'll protect you, Nee-san."

"Mou, Shirou…" Illya pouted. He knew exactly how she felt about being called that.

Time passed by quietly like this. The two siblings sat together alone in the room. The two of them lived in a cramp space on the second floor of UBW. It was just the two of them, with no other family, no mother, no father, in a foreign world.

It came no surprise for the brother and sister to treasure each other so much.

"Let's get ready for bed," Shirou got up.

Illya's eyes lit up excitedly. "In that case-"

"We're not sharing a bath."

"Oh, poo…"

* * *

Yo, the author here. How was it? Was it any good? Was it okay? Was it interesting? Too many changes in perspective? OOC characters? Let me know your thoughts in reviews please.

This is my first story in either fandom hehe. Ja, dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

* * *

Side Note:

If a guest writes a review that I feel the strong urge to reply to, it will either be by the next chapter, or by my profile.


	2. Black and Yellow

_BLACK meets WHITE…_

Cars cruised by the busy intersection. Nestled all around by tall buildings, two roads met at the heart of the shopping district. Several stores ran along the paved sidewalk. The people of Vale went about their everyday life in peace, walking to and fro the intersection for one reason or another. Regardless, they all took the time to pause at this intersection for one unexpected roadside attraction.

At the corner of a bakery and clothing store, a snow-haired maiden handed out fliers with a smile. Her scarlet red eyes and porcelain white skin stood out, giving her the grace of a manufactured doll. Her dainty cat ears and tail swayed gently in the afternoon air. She wore a simple purple dress with a black apron over it. The letters 'UBW' embroidered discreetly onto the apron.

"Please visit Unlimited Blade Works for all your weaponry needs," Illya handed out another a flier. A boy blushed a bit before receiving it graciously. She giggled but remained polite and gave another flier to the boy's companion.

"For all your Grimm fighting needs, please visit Unlimited Blade Works!" Illya raised her voice a bit, containing it just enough to sound cute, but not overbearing.

Illya had to admit handing out fliers was getting harder and harder by the day. If she stuck around too long enough in one place, the people who frequented that area would get used to her and begin to ignore her. It was for this reason that Illya found a different spot each day to spread her fliers. She figured if she played her cards right, she could forever remain the irresistibly cute girl that caught people's attention.

Though attracting too much attention was a problem as well. Illya recalled just a few days ago when some older, gruffer men had stared at her just a bit too menacingly. The girl had quickly changed locations at the time, not wanting to get into any trouble and needlessly burdening her brother.

Illya tightened her hold on her fliers. Thoughts of her brother's already mounting concerns flooded her mind. She shook her head. No, she had to focus at the task at hand. Shirou was counting on her to rake in some customers.

That was when the girl felt a sudden burst of wind behind her. She lost her balance for a moment. A car over the speed limit? Illya didn't have the time or luxury to check, she realized in a panic, her hands were empty, the papers she had carried spilled on the ground.

She panicked, immediately sprawling onto the pavement on her knees, picking up the papers. In her haste, she never noticed the shadows approaching her back.

"What do we have here?" A rough voice sneered behind her. Illya turned around and met eyes with the same group of men from a few days ago, the same ones she so curtly avoided.

"Still on the streets, eh, kitty cat? And on all fours and making a mess of our clean streets this time. What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

The man cracked his knuckles and snarled. He wore a dark tank top and jeans, not so discreetly displaying his muscles to the world. The two companions behind him shared a similar appearance.

"I-I'm sorry," Illya's voice grew small at the man's anger. Her hands scrambled to collect all the fliers as fast as possible.

The man clicked his tongue and stepped closer. The soles of his shoes stomped flat on the flier Illya was reaching for. Illya looked up at the man. The sun cast a menacing shadow over his face. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here like you belong, animal."

Illya gulped. This man for one reason or another had a thing against faunus. He didn't seem like the type to fall for her natural charm either. Really, what was she to do?

The people around wordlessly gave them space. No one would be getting involved. No hero would be coming to save the day. Should she use her powers? Here? In broad daylight?

"Come to think of it, what stupid store were you yammering about?" The man picked up a flier. His eyes scanned over the contents. "UBW? What idiot came up with that?" He crumpled the sheet and tossed it away.

That clinched it.

Consequences be damned. No one badmouthed her Onii-chan like that and got away with it. Illya relaxed her control, just loosening the lid over her powers by a fraction. Her red eyes narrowed, slowly changing into icy blue. The ground around her and the men dropped several degrees, the heat vanishing with her flaring temper.

"W-what the?" The man noticed a bit too late. His legs were stubbornly rooted into the ground. His thighs squirmed, but his feet refused to budge.

Illya smiled sweetly. "What were you saying, mister?"

The man clenched his teeth. He raised a fist. "You little-"

He never got a chance to finish his slur as a black boot connected with his cheek. The man's stupefied face spluttered saliva as his body sailed in the air before finally crashing into a wall.

"What the hell was that for?" The man yelled at his attacker.

The newcomer stood tall. Her long black hair fluttering lightly in the air. She wore a white V-neck crop shirt and black pants. A black bow sat atop her crown of hair. Her amber eyes narrowed at the man beneath her.

* * *

Blake Belladonna could not believe her eyes.

Here she was on the streets of Vale, on a personal detour around the Shopping District before she was due to meet up with her teammates at some new store. But when she saw people steering clear of a certain busy intersection, curiosity got the best of the cat faunus and she stopped to check things out.

Blake was appalled at the sight her eyes laid on. A trio of grown men sneering over a faunus girl picking up fliers on the floor. And nobody was doing anything about it. Blake felt her stomach sicken.

Suddenly, the man before the little girl started fidgeting crazily. Blake was too far away to catch the words of their exchange, but when she saw the man raise his fist, her body moved on its own before she even realized it.

A moment later and the man was on the ground. A blaring red boot impression over his cheek. "W-what the hell was that for?" He yelled at Blake. His two buddies steadying him back on his feet.

"For raising your hand against an innocent child," Blake answered the obvious, her voice loud and clear with righteous fury.

"Innocent child?" The man got back on his feet with great difficulty. "All I see is a filthy faunus brat in need of a collar."

Blake glowered. Did this man even hear himself speak? "Being a faunus doesn't make her any less of a person. She still has the same rights as everybody else. Apologize to her right now."

The crowd around them stirred at her words, the stupor of mob mentality finally lifting. The men could feel the tide turning against them. All because of one meddling girl.

The man grimaced. He couldn't run away, not with his legs still stiff. He would have to settle things here and now. "Oh, I'm sorry. Please accept my humble apologies!"

The man abruptly threw a wild punch in the air. At first, Blake thought it was just a pointless display of rebellion but then she noticed the fist wasn't aimed at her. Her amber eyes followed the man's line of sight, all the way to the wide-eyed little girl sprawled on the floor.

Blake's battle-hardened instincts caught on. She felt the sudden shift in the air. From the man's fist, a burst of pressurized air blasted. It was an air bullet, a fist-sized ball of condensed air strong enough to shatter bone. And it was aimed right at the defenseless girl on her knees.

The huntress-in-training didn't even think twice. She knew what to do. She hurled herself straight into the trajectory of the air bullet, effectively shielding the little girl and taking the brunt of the man's attack.

Blake felt a sharp wince as her white shirt was torn apart, a gaping hole bursting in the middle of her torso. Her gut twisted back, air forced out of her lungs. She felt her body being pushed back.

Behind her, the little girl gaped. She opened her arms ready to catch her savior in a hurry.

 _Above the darkness and the shame… Above the ridicule and the hate…_

The words played in Blake's mind for an instant. Then she let her body melt into the shadows. She felt herself sink into familiar cold darkness. Her body vanished into wisps of inky black. The little girl's hands only caught intangible shadows.

 _Now in darkness, we will rise, reclaim our destiny…_

The man blinked, not believing his eyes. He knew his semblance was good, but not that good.

"That was a dirty move."

He heard a voice speak directly below him. He looked down and met face to face with the disappearing girl. His eyes widened. How had the girl closed the distance between them so fast?

The girl's amber orbs glinted coldly in the sunlight. The next thing the man registered was the paralyzing surge of pain across his crotch. The girl rammed her knee straight into his groin. He grunted in agony, before backing up and crumpling onto the floor, his hands between his legs.

"I apologize. That wasn't my intention," The girl stood up, pushing back her long black hair with her hand. "But accidents can happen."

The faunus girl on the floor picked up the last flier and got to her feet, her red eyes never leaving Blake's graceful figure.

"Using a semblance in public like that, were you trying to kill someone?" Blake fumed at the man's recklessness.

The sound of a high pitch whistle rang in the air. Blake's bow twitched. She looked behind her and spotted a pair of men in white dress shirts and black suspenders approaching. The badges and guns strapped to their belts indicative of their authority as police.

"Alright, people, what's all the hubbub about?"

Blake frowned. Now the cops showed up?

* * *

 _YELLOW bricks pave the road forward…_

Yang Xiao Long wasn't sure what was up with her teammates as of late. She frowned at the two girls walking ahead of her. Ruby, her little sister, hummed a happy tune. Her red scarf fluttered in the air. Beside her, Weiss strut forward, her heels digging into the pavement just a bit too much. Her ponytail swung from one side to another like a clock's pendulum played fast forward, impatient.

"Ugh, guys," Yang waved her hand. "Where did you say we were going again?"

Ruby practically bounced. "Yang, we're going to Unlimited Blade Works! The hottest new weapons store in all of Vale."

"Then how come I've never heard of it?" Yang shook her head. Her little sister _was_ prone to bouts of misplaced excitement. She recalled the time the girl kept on insisting the floor was lava.

"With the Vytal festival just around the corner, new stores and businesses are popping up left and right. It's no surprise for a new weapons shop to remain discreet." Weiss explained with a smile.

Yang nodded. Weiss spouting out information wasn't anything unusual. But she swore she detected something else in the heiress' voice, something almost like excitement.

"Are they any good?" Yang asked her two teammates who had apparently already been to the store.

"Yes, yes, picture it with me, dear sister! An entire room filled to the brim with weapons! Weapons as far as the eye can see!" Ruby bawled, wrapping an arm around Yang.

Yang snickered before brushing off her sister's antics. She looked to the girl's more level-headed partner. "Is it true?"

Weiss smiled. "While the number doesn't quite reach 'unlimited', the store does boast a considerable stock of weaponry." She patted the pommel of her rapier strapped to her waist. "But the store's real value might be in their reinforcement services."

"Reinforcement?" Yang asked.

Ruby beamed at the sound of the word. "That's what Shirou called it when I asked him what he did to our weapons. I don't know how he did it, but he took my baby's firepower to a whole new level."

"Almost like magic," Weiss mumbled to herself.

Yang eyed the snow-haired girl walking beside her now. "That doesn't sound like you, Ice Queen. Is there something else about this store you're not telling me?"

Weiss remained silent, not even rebuffing Yang's use of her much-loathed nickname.

Ruby placed a finger over her mouth, tilting her head. "Hmm? Something else? Uh… the shop is called UBW for short and um…"

Silver eyes widened. Ruby clapped her hands together. "Illya was adorable."

Weiss stiffened.

"Illya?" Yang prodded.

"She's the store owner Shirou's little sister. She helps around the shop by handing out fliers. Weiss ran into her on the streets." Ruby offered.

Yang nodded. "She must really be something if she can draw our resident Ice Queen into a weapons store. That's more of your scene, sis."

"I know. I thought so too." Ruby agreed.

Weiss huffed. "It's perfectly normal for a huntress-in-training to patronize a weapons shop."

"But I always thought you preferred Atlas' high tech mail order delivery." Yang countered.

"Well…" Weiss gave Ruby a look. "Illya and her brother looked like they could use some regular customers, given their history…"

Ruby's smile turned somber, recalling the little girl's story from a few days ago. "Yeah, there's that."

The red and white duo walked in silence after that. A grave cloud trailed their steps.

"I must be missing something again," Yang sighed under her breath. She knew better than to prod further now. She watched the two again. The silence between them was pregnant with a story special to only to the two of them.

Yang's thoughts drifted to that of her own partner Blake. She was supposed to be with them on this team outing. But the faunus girl had left earlier to take care of something in private, promising to meet up with them later at the new weapons shop.

Wherever Blake was, Yang just hoped she wasn't getting into any trouble.

* * *

Blake Belladonna did her best not to actively antagonize the police. But the men in uniform were making it very difficult, with their stern frowns and suspicious looks. If she didn't know any better, she swore it was like she were the one being treated as the offender.

"I'm telling you, officer," Blake said, with bated breath. "The man attacked first. He even used a semblance on a helpless child."

The police officer scribbled on his notepad a few incomprehensible lines and adjusted his sunglasses. He looked to his colleague, the one in charge of collecting testimonies from the crowd. They nodded their heads.

"Well, your story checks out, Miss Belladonna, and so does your Beacon Academy ID. In the name of the Vale Police Force, we thank you for your efforts in handling the situation. You're free to go."

The officers led the three men into a police car. The boot-marked man whose nuts Blake cracked earlier gave her a stink eye before he was driven away. He didn't even look the least bit remorseful of his actions. Blake clicked her tongue.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice said behind her. "Thank you very much for saving me. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Blake turned around and met the little girl the men had picked on. It seemed she hadn't left the vicinity yet. Her white cat ears twitched to the side. "Are you okay, miss?"

The little girl stared pointedly at Blake's belly and for half a second, Blake became self-conscious of her choice of clothing. She had after all chosen to wear a white crop top today of all days. But she quickly threw away such notions when she noticed the concern in the little girl's eyes.

"I'm fine, don't worry. See?" Blake pinched a portion of fabric of her shirt. "Not a scratch. It pays to have a nifty semblance on hand."

The girl's brows furrowed. Blake's words seemed to do little good in easing the girl's worry. "Be that as it may, you still put yourself in danger for someone like me. Thank you very much." She bowed her head formally.

Blake's bow twitched. The girl sounded almost ashamed of herself, as if she were worth any less than anyone else. "It's fine, really. Anyone would've done the same." Blake smiled, willing herself to forget the unconcerned onlookers a while ago.

The still-bowing girl raised the hem of her dress a bit and curtsied. "My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, but please call me Illya. It's nice to meet you, miss…?"

"My name is Blake," Blake introduced herself and placed a hand over Illya's head. "It's nice to meet you too, Illya."

The two of them stayed like that for a moment. They stood on the busy intersection, in a patch cordoned off from any passersby. The earlier commotion having isolated them.

Suddenly, reality returned its course and Blake blushed. She hastily pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

 _She just looked so sad,_ Blake thought. She knew her fair share of hardship from growing up a faunus. So perhaps something inside her instinctively reached out to comfort the girl?

"I-it's okay, Miss Blake," Illya hid a blush as she hunched down to pick up the fliers she left stacked on the floor. "Blake… Beacon Academy ID…"

A gear turned inside Illya's head and she brightened. "Might you be Ruby and Weiss' teammate Blake?"

"You know Ruby and Weiss?" Blake blinked.

"Yes, they visited my brother's store the other day. They told me a lot of fun stories about themselves, like their time in Beacon." Illya explained.

Blake scrutinized the papers in Illya's hands, catching the image of a sword and the letters 'UBW'. "Ah, Ruby did mention something like that a while ago. I'm supposed to meet up with them there later."

"Oh?" Illya perked up. "If you'd like, I could lead you there. My brother could do his magic on your sword too for free." She glanced at Gambol Shroud strapped behind Blake's back.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you." Blake mustered a smile. "But I'm sorry. I'm actually looking for something right now."

"Oh," Illya's shoulders dropped, but then raised them back up. "But you're still going later, right? You're just looking for something right now. Is there any way I can help? Any way at all?"

Blake inched back at the girl's newfound energy. "Well, I'm looking for a store I heard about on the news. I've never actually been to the place myself so I was going to ask around a bit." She pulled out her scroll and showed it to Illya.

"Oh?" Illya blinked. "Miss Blake, you want to go here? I know it. I spent the afternoon yesterday there handing out fliers. But recently that place was…"

"They were robbed, yes. I saw it on the news but I wanted to see it for myself." Blake's face darkened.

"As expected of a huntress-in-training," Illya nodded. "Ruby said you were the serious type. I'd be happy to show you the way, Miss Blake."

"Thank you, Illya and just Blake is fine really."

"Okay, Blake."

Illya smiled and the shadows on Blake's face melted away.

* * *

Yang had to hold her sister back by the cape. She was sure if she hadn't, the store would've been neck deep in rose petals by now. Ruby shook herself free and pouted at her sister. "Yang, you're making me look bad."

"You don't need any help in that, sis," Yang snickered and patted the girl's shoulder. "Try to take it down a notch." She said affectionately. Try as she might, she couldn't find it in her to blame the girl for her excitement. Just like Ruby had said earlier, the store lived up to its name of housing unlimited blades.

Ruby grumbled, but got the message. She took a deep breath and came to her senses, finally noticing that some of the other customers in the store were giving her weird looks. She quickly joined Weiss heading for the counter, Yang following behind.

"Hello, Shirou," Weiss said formally.

"We're back!" Ruby said.

"Ruby, Weiss, it's good to see you two," Shirou nodded to his first two customers. His golden eyes drifted to their third companion.

"Oh, this is our teammate and my older sister Yang," Ruby gestured to the blonde brawler beside her.

"Nice to meet you," Yang said with a wave. "I've heard a lot of good things about your work."

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you too." Shirou smiled. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Yes, we'd like you to reinforce our weapons again please," Weiss answered, placing Myrtenaster on the counter.

Ruby followed suit with Crescent Rose. "We've been playing a little too roughly with them lately," she explained.

"I hear you work like magic," Yang joked as she presented her golden bracelets on the table. "What do you think of my bad boys here?"

Shirou gazed over them.

"They're not swords." He muttered the words automatically, unbidden.

Yang raised a brow. "Sorry, but I like my fights up close and personal."

"No," Shirou shook his head, his eyes dead serious. "It's no problem. I just work better with blades. I still know a thing or two about other weapons." He traced his fingers over the metal surface, stopped and pressed.

The bracelets expanded into full-fledged gauntlets. Ruby and Weiss stared at the sight like they had a dozen times before. But only Yang studied the way Shirou looked at her weapons. Only she caught the flash of silver in his golden eyes. It could've just been a trick of the light. But for half a second, she swore the guy's eyes changed color.

"Reinforcement for all three of your weapons should be fine," Shirou said in a stern, deep voice. "That'll be three hundred Lien in total."

The girls made a motion to pull out their wallets. "No, it's okay. You can pay later." Shirou stopped them, with a small smile. "Actually, I have a favor to ask you if possible."

Ruby tilted her head. "What is it?"

"If I'm going to reinforce your weapons, I'd have to work in the back and that would leave no one to watch the front." Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "I realize this is improper of me to ask of my customers, but would you mind watching the store while you wait?"

Team RWBY learned just how badly understaffed the store was.

"What about Illya?" Ruby asked. "Can't she watch the store?"

"Illya's out handing flyers again. She's been really spirited about it lately and once she sets her mind on something, stopping her can be… difficult." Shirou sighed.

"Are you sure it's alright for her to be out alone?" Weiss asked in concern.

"No, but like I said, she's difficult to control." Shirou said, frowning. "But she knows to call me if anything happens."

"What if you don't make it in time?" Yang asked.

Shirou paused at that. The thought of any serious danger befalling his little sister causing him to stupor. "Then I'll just have to make sure that never happens," Shirou sighed, heaving his shoulders.

The girls noticed the steel layered beneath his words.

Ruby broke the silence with a stifled laugh. "Okay, Shirou, we'll watch the store for you no problem." She answered.

Shirou smiled appreciatively. "Thanks, I'll do my best to work quickly then." Shirou said, taking the weapons to the back with him and leaving Team RWBY in charge of his store.

The girls gazed around the room full of weapons, meagerly filled with prospective customers. What could go wrong?

* * *

Author's Note:

Illya and Shirou aren't from any canon timelines. I made one up that's sort of loosely similar to Heaven's Feel and Miyuverse with several changes.

It hasn't been outright revealed yet, but this story is set a few days after the end of volume 1, and during the 2 week semester break before Volume 2.

I hoped you liked it, even if a little.

Thank you for reading.


	3. Sword and Maiden

_A sheathed SWORD never sleeps, it simply waits…_

Emiya Shirou breathed out a sigh of frustration. He sat alone in a dark room filled with smithing implements. He closed his eyes, letting the fleeting light hone his senses. He breathed in measured rhythm. He stretched out his hand, tracing the shape of the weapons laid out on his worktable. The outline of their metal blades felt cool to his finger tips. He heaved a sigh and whispered.

"Trace on."

Blue lines of power lit up the room, running across Shirou's arm and then over Crescent Rose. Beads of sweat formed over Shirou's face as he examined the weapon. He saw into its history, creation, cracks and battle records.

 _End of the line, Red._

Shirou frowned, but continued his reinforcement. In a few seconds, he found the unseen holes inside the weapon and filled them with prana. He polished its blade, adjusted its gears and bolstered its strength.

"Done." Shirou opened his eyes and set Ruby's weapon aside. "Next one up."

Shirou redid the steps to his process. This time on the silver-gray rapier.

 _GROWL!_

 _Go, Weiss!_

Shirou tensed at the image of a feral black hog, a boarbatusk, charging straight at him, its chalk white tusks mere inches away from his face. The experience of facing the beast in a classroom full of students rushed through him. He gritted his teeth, but finished his reinforcement. He moved on to the last one, Yang's gauntlets, Ember Selica. He tuned the firing mechanism and fortified the metal's durability and strength.

 _I! Hope! You're! Hungry!_

Shirou witnessed with his own eyes the image of an irate blonde pounding the living hell into a giant black bird, her fist feeding the creature's gaping beak with explosion after explosion. He exhaled and finished the reinforcement. He opened his eyes and looked down at the weapons laid out before him, their histories all revealed to him now.

"Just what have _I_ been doing all this time?" He muttered under his breath, clenching his fists.

He shook his head, clearing the clutter of any old dreamy ideals. He left his workshop and stepped into the kitchen. Rewiring his brain into focusing on brewing tea, Shirou worked like a precise machine, preparing the tea leaves and boiling water.

But he still couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty rising within him. His left arm throbbed, crying out for the heat of battle. He closed his eyes, and flinched. He heard _his_ voice again.

 _Fighting for others, but not yourself, is nothing but hypocrisy._

* * *

Illyasviel von Einzbern skipped along the stone-paved streets of Vale. Her snow white hair dancing in the air like lambent rays of sunlight. The stack of papers in her hands tremored with her excitement, but nevertheless stayed firmly in place between her fingers.

"It's this way!" she called out to the girl behind her carrying a similar stack of papers, the kind person who offered to carry half the original stack.

"Slow down, Illya," Blake said, finally catching up to the little girl. "There's no need to hurry."

Illya hummed, placing a finger on her lip. "I suppose that's true." She nodded and walked alongside the taller girl.

"Do you like taking your time with things, Blake?" Illya asked, looking up. Her cat ears flapping.

"It's not that. I just don't want you rushing headfirst into a crime scene, Illya," Blake said, gazing down at the girl. "You could get hurt."

Illya pondered the notion of her getting hurt. Certainly there were plenty of potential dangers in Vale, let alone Remnant. But to be honest, she could probably handle most of them on her own. However that was not to be the case. Per her brother's instructions, she was to hide behind the facade of a defenseless little girl. Better to be overlooked than be a potential target, he had told her.

"You have a point. I'll be more careful, Blake," Illya conceded with a sigh.

They walked in silence for a bit. The energy Illya had emanated earlier gradually receded within.

Blake fidgeted, feeling partly responsible for killing the mood. "So, um, how old are you, Illya?" It seemed like a viable question at the time.

"Hm? I'm eleven years old," Illya offered, grinning. Given her current body, that was the age she and Shirou had agreed on.

"I see…" Blake said slowly. She considered the number in her head. Eleven, just two digits away from single digit nine, and nearly the end of childhood, approaching the teens. "What does your family think of you working on the streets?"

Blake herself recalled her father and mother's stern disapproval of her more radical activities with the White Fang, protesting on the streets and joining rallies. Now, she worried over another faunus handing out fliers by herself. Almost full circle.

"My brother's against it. He thinks I should be more carefree for a girl my age. He wants me to have more fun…" Illya frowned into the distance.

"Sounds like your brother just wants what's best for you. What's wrong with that?" Blake asked. She looked at the little girl curiously. She really was much too young to be out on her own. Case in point, the incident earlier. If Blake hadn't stepped in at the time…

"No, Shirou worrying over me is fine. In fact, I'd prefer it. But you see, Shirou has a bad habit of disregarding his own needs for me," Illya said quietly, clutching her stack of papers tightly. "I don't want him to sacrifice anything more for me."

There was a certain softness in the girl's voice. Like a tragedy entangled into her every word, threatening to dip her soul into a downward spiral of self-loathing.

"Illya…" Blake could only manage to whisper.

"That's why I decided to help him however I can!" She nodded her head, determined. Blake swore she saw benevolent light radiate from the girl's smile. "I'll be his pillar of support so he can stand properly."

Seeing the little girl's gleaming ruby eyes, Blake was reminded of a certain teammate of hers, a certain energetic red reaper that smiled in the face of adversity.

"You must really love your brother," Blake remarked.

"Yup. I love him the most!" Illya nodded her head proudly.

They walked together in tandem, weaving through the busy crowds of people. Their destination not so distant anymore.

"Do you have any siblings, Blake?" Illya asked, her face a bit rosy, having finally realized how much she talked about her own brother.

"No." Blake shook her head. "I'm an only child. So I'm afraid I've never experienced the love you have for your brother." As she said the words, a name surfaced in her head, a memory she had buried away and refused to recall up until now. "Though, there was a girl I grew up with."

"Hm?" Illya craned her neck to listen.

Blake wondered what led her to opening up to a little girl she had only met moments ago. Perhaps it was the allure of sharing a story to a stranger, another faunus even, a story that would hold no weight on their shoulders. Or maybe it was the charming innocence Illya oozed. Regardless, the words slipped out of her mouth.

"Her name was Ilia." Blake smirked knowingly at the girl's raised eyebrows. "Yes, you two share a name."

Confusion colored Illya's face, but she kept silent and waited for more.

"We grew up together in the same neighborhood and along with the other kids around our age, we banded together in a group. We spent all our time fighting for what we thought was right," Blake said.

They veered right and passed a gang of kids playing. Their eager shouts shaking up the streets.

"We were young and foolhardy," Blake continued, her eyes glancing at passing shadows. "We thought if we just kept on crying out our grievances, things would go our way. But eventually we realized how powerless we truly were."

Blake peeked down at the stack of fliers she carried, her eyes settling on the image of a drawn steel sword. "That's when Ilia and I decided to take matters into our own hands."

The two of them stopped before a line of yellow tape, barring them a single step further. "But a while back, things got too out of hand. We argued about we were doing and what was right. We had a disagreement and we haven't spoken a word to each other since…"

The words of Blake's story gradually sunk away as she stared at the sorry site before her. It was a dust shop ransacked late last night. Its windows freshly shattered, a desert of jagged shards sprinkled on the ground. The walls had been torn down to reveal the store's utter emptiness, all its merchandise stolen. By the broken door frame, an old man was talking to an officer. His expression livid. He pointed animatedly at a scratch on the door, a single claw mark carved into the jagged wood.

"The White Fang."

Blake held her breath. She glanced at her smaller companion.

Illya studied the crime scene curiously. "That's who the men are pinning the blame on." The little girl's cat ears wriggled, endeavoring to pick up any more gossip from the few policemen on site.

Blake frowned. She knew she had said too much but even worse, she had realized the folly of her actions. Bringing a faunus child to a White Fang crime scene, a place marred with radical violence and hate, was a mistake. If she weren't careful, the worst case scenario could play out and she might steer Illya down the wrong path.

However, the young cat faunus in question simply opened her mouth in wonder, her ruby eyes glazing over the whole tragedy. "Why would anyone need that much dust?"

Why indeed?

* * *

"What's this supposed to do?"

Ruby studied the blade in her hand. It was a simple dagger with minimal design. A black leather grip and a sharp tongue of steel. She raised it once, twice then clutched it tight and darted her hands in a flurry. The blade hissed as it pierced through air. She flicked it left, then right. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Stop. What do you think you're doing?" A shrill voice rang across the store. Ruby looked behind her to find an icy heiress pointing a stare her way.

"I'm trying to find where Shirou hid the gun in this thing," Ruby said, her eyes trained on the humble dagger. "It's got to be in here somewhere."

"Well, what if it's not? Can't it just be a regular dagger?" Weiss argued.

"Psh, yeah right. Regular dagger. Good one, Weiss," Ruby snickered at the silly idea. Coming from a girl whose rapier had a gun barrel lodged into its guard, the notion of the dagger just being "a regular dagger" held little water.

Besides, most, if not all, weapons on Remnant sported more than one form. Scythes that turned into snipers, swords that folded into guns. Such weapons were in vogue, especially among Huntsmen. Ruby figured the goods of a top notch weapons store such as UBW would be no exception.

The inquisitive girl inspected the blade more closely. Closing one eye, she rattled the tiny thing, placing her ear precariously close to its edge. She swore she could almost hear some kind of gear or spring sound inside.

"Hm?" It was hardly visible but as Ruby gazed down at the weapon, she noticed the subtle gap between the blade and the guard…

"Ooh, what's that?!" Before she could inspect the dagger, Ruby spotted another new weapon kept at the lowest shelf. She dashed for it, leaving the dagger spinning in the air.

"Hey!" Weiss yelled as she fumbled to catch the spinning blade. The tip of steel bouncing off her aura-protected hands too many times.

Ruby paid no heed to the girl's cries and crouched down. Her eyes transfixed on the new weapon before her. A gun that doubled as a bow?

Weiss crossed her arms over the black UBW apron she wore. She had found a spare one lying behind the counter. "Ugh, I swear your can be such a child. At least put away your toys when you're done. Need I remind you that Shirou entrusted to us the welfare of his store?" She scolded Ruby, waving the dagger as if it were an extension of her wagging finger.

"Excuse me, I'd like to make a purchase please," a voice interrupted the two before things could escalate.

"Yes, right this way please." Weiss switched gears, leading the customer to the counter amicably. She handled the transaction flawlessly, following the guide Shirou had left behind. The customer now satisfied went out the door. Weiss sighed in content.

Yang whistled, joining her behind the counter. She also wore a UBW black apron over her clothes. Her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. "Somebody's really getting into their work. I gotta admit, I never thought I'd see you work a day in your life like this."

"If we're going to do this, we're doing it right," Weiss declared, raising her chin. This wasn't a responsibility to be taken lightly, not when Shirou and Illya's livelihood was on the line.

"Oh, lighten up." Yang punched the girl's shoulder playfully. "Our 'shift' ends in fifteen minutes and we've done a bang-up job of running the place so far, haven't we?"

"Hmph," Weiss conceded. She glanced back to their other more enamored teammate, who was still busying herself with another new weapon. "Ruby, where did you pick this up from?" Weiss raised the dagger she had caught oh so gracefully moments ago.

"Forgot." Ruby shrugged, not even turning her back.

"You what?" Weiss twitched. Her partner was impossible at times. "Fine, never mind." She sighed and set the blade down on the counter. She would have to ask Shirou later where to return it to, not wanting to ruin any sense of order UBW managed to maintain. The store was already a crazy chest of weapons as it was.

"It's impressive that Shirou can run a business like this at his age," Yang said, leaning her elbows on the counter. Her lilac eyes breathed in all of the weapons, especially the bladed ones. "He doesn't look that much older than us, but he's already making and selling all this."

"Indeed," Weiss said. "I wonder how much loan and capital Shirou needed just to get this all set up. Does he have an investor of some kind? Or maybe some kind of special patron…"

"I don't know about any of that, but the building must've been pretty cheap, at least." Yang scrunched her brows in an effort to remember. "Didn't the White Fang rob this place a few weeks ago?"

Weiss nodded. "Yes, I heard about that from Illya as well. She didn't seem to know the White Fang were behind it though."

"Most ordinary people wouldn't."

"I hope so," Weiss said, quietly looking down.

Yang tilted her head, giving her friend a look over. "Something on your mind? Y'know I'm always all ears."

Weiss remained silent. Her eyes drifted to the still door ahead of them as if she were waiting for something, or someone. Eventually she looked away when nothing came.

That was when a sudden chime rang across the room. The two girls stiffened momentarily, their ears searching for the source of the disturbance.

"Aren't you going to pick that up?" Yang eyed the heiress's breast pocket. A buzzing sound squirmed its way through the white fabric. "Whoever's calling you on your scroll isn't giving up."

Weiss clicked her tongue and pulled out her scroll, a sleek slab of white metal. Her lips twisted into a frown as she pressed a button, silencing the nuisance.

Yang gave her a questioning look, and Weiss grunted. "It's nothing, just another incessant call from home."

"That doesn't sound like nothing. Shouldn't you take care of it?" Yang knew from personal experience just how troublesome doting parents could get.

"I did. Just now." Weiss waved her scroll's blank screen. "See, no noise."

"Yeah, not like that." Yang shook her head. "What if it's important?"

"Then they'll call again." Weiss turned away.

"And if they do, will you pick it up?"

"Perhaps." Weiss raised the palm of her hand. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, Yang. My father simply wishes for me to return home to Atlas for the semestral break."

Yang quirked an eyebrow. "Then why don't you just say no and be done with it?"

"I already did, last night even. My father just doesn't know when to give up." Weiss sighed as she stuffed her scroll back into her pocket.

"Weiss, that just shows he cares," Yang said gently.

"No, the truth of the matter is that he doesn't really care about me, just the family name we share. He thinks I'm wasting my time at Beacon." Weiss palmed hard the dagger on the table.

"Weiss..." Yang wasn't sure what to say.

The air around the counter thickened. Tension strained between the two girls. Yang wondered if she had dove too deep into her friend's problems. Weiss worried if she had said too much.

Yang placed a hand over her Weiss' shoulder. "It'll work out, you'll see."

It was the best she could offer at the moment. The scope of the matter beyond her, Yang did what she could and did what she'd done many times before for her little sister. She flashed a cheeky smile, one so confident it made all the big problems seem small.

Weiss made no conscious effort to remove the girl's hand. She kept quiet, lest she seem any more vulnerable. She was a Schnee after all. She was to be the picture of perfection, the pinnacle of aspiration, the-

A loud crash shook the store. The clang of several metal weapons falling on the floor one after another dominated the air. The two temporary shopkeepers turned their attention to the girl sprawled on the floor, her body buried under a pile of blades, lying next to a heap of toppled shelves.

"RUBY!" They chorused.

"I'm okay…" Ruby raised a thumbs up through the sea of cold metal. She forced her way out of the mess, patting the dust off her dress. "My aura's still pretty thick-"

"Not you, you dunce. Of course you're fine. Look at this mess!" Weiss waved her arms over the knocked over weapons. "How do you cause problems in the last ten minutes of our shift?"

Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "I-I'm sorry. But it's not my fault! Swear!"

"Oh? Then whose is it?" Yang joined the two, crossing her arms.

"Its this thing's." Ruby pulled out a two meter long javelin from the pile. "One minute it looked like a _regular_ sword." She cast Weiss a meaningful look. "The next, it expanded into a full-sized javelin! I don't know if I pressed a switch or something but it caught me by surprise and ruined my balance!"

Ruby dropped the javelin and took a sudden step back, raising her arms, demonstrating to her teammates how she had reacted. The two were not amused.

"Hey, don't give me that look! At least I didn't knock over those jars of dust!" She pointed to the glass containers sitting on the shelves behind the two. Their surface and contents with nary a scratch.

"Well, that's true." Weiss stooped down to pick up the weapons.

"That doesn't fix this disaster though." Yang fixed upright a shelf.

Ruby sighed. "I know, I know. I'll clean up my own mess."

She picked up the javelin. It clicked and suddenly shifted back into a sword, startling her again. Did it have some kind of pressure sensor?

"I think you've done enough damage, Ruby. Why don't you watch the register? There aren't any weapons for you to mess with there," Weiss dismissed their leader.

Ruby wanted to retort back, but the look in Weiss' eyes left no room for argument. She trudged away to the counter, her eyes lingering wistfully at the weapons on the floor.

"A little cold there, Ice Queen," Yang said.

"You have to be firm about punishment and responsibility with children. Otherwise, they'll never grow up," Weiss spoke from experience. Incidents with her bratty little brother came to mind.

"Well, you're not wrong, I guess." Yang returned a dagger to a random spot on the shelf. She just hoped Ruby didn't take it too hard.

The girl in question reflected on her actions quickly. She realized she was to be held accountable for her mistakes. But really, the core of the problem stemmed from the unexpected feature hidden in Shirou's sword. It had looked so ordinary and unassuming, and yet, it hid a completely different shape underneath.

Her thoughts drifted to what other kinds of secrets Shirou might be keeping. To open a shop like Unlimited Blade Works in the middle of Vale at the onset of the Vytal festival when competition for business was so fierce. She wondered how good Shirou's weapons really were.

It was at that moment Ruby noticed the dagger left lying on the counter. It was the one she had left in Weiss' hands carelessly. She picked it up and gave it one last examination. If the regular sword could turn into a javelin, what could the regular dagger do?

Ruby squinted. Was that? She could almost read a tiny line of text etched into the guard.

" _Lygarstung_ …?" Ruby read aloud.

Instantly, she felt the dagger come alive. Its handle squirmed in her hands and a jolt of brute force burst from her hands.

"Look out!" She managed to yell, as she watched the dagger's blade shot free from its handle. The deadly tongue of steel fired straight ahead, its path traced by a thinly sharp metal wire, leading towards the two huntresses-in-training.

Weiss and Yang reacted quickly. Their huntsmen training kicked in. Weiss cartwheeled out of the way, but Yang faced the threat head on and deflected the blade with her fist, veering it away to her left. The blade embedded itself into a surface, its momentum stopped.

The moment passed and the adrenaline in the store stilled.

"What was that?" Weiss shouted at Ruby.

"Uhh, the dagger didn't have a gun after all…?" She shrunk back from the girl's anger. "But this time was definitely not my fault okay! Shirou just hid another trick in his dagger and-"

"It's fine, it's fine. No harm done, right?" Yang cut her sister off, dusting her hands clean.

 _SNAP_

Ruby paled.

A rubber string fell to the floor. Yang's ponytail unfurled into her long mane of blonde curls. However, all three of them spotted the few loose strands fluttering freely in the air, their tips cut slanted at the edge.

Yang's eyes were covered by the shadow of her bangs.

Ruby sweated buckets. "Yang, I'm so, so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to!"

Silence from the Blonde. Her fingers curled into tight fists. Her hair letting off smoke.

Weiss gasped. She noticed the clouds of colorful particles gathering in the air. "Yang, calm down. Take a long deep breath. Count to ten or whatever. Just don't-"

Lilac eyes erupted into volcanic red and golden locks of hair blazed, igniting the free dust in the air. The whole store was enveloped in searing light.

* * *

Author's Note:

I am disappointed in myself. I had meant for this upload to come yesterday night, in commemoration for the premier of Prisma Illya: Sekka no Chikai… But well, I just couldn't do it.

Thank you for reading.


	4. The Broken

_Even a MAIDEN can BREAK..._

Illya was a girl who knew her way around earthquakes, or any earth shaking for that matter. One does not become the Master of Berserker without learning a thing or two about the stuff, not when every step of her old servant sent tremors down the earth's mantle. So, when Illya felt the ground shake beneath her feet, she had a vague idea of what caused it. It reminded her of a certain twintails magus' exploding jewelry.

Blake and Illya froze. Like all the other people on the street, they felt the sudden jolt of seismic activity and heard the blaring siren that followed right after. The pedestrians were all bewildered, unsure of what to make of the sound.

But Illya knew what it was. She had heard it only once before, when her brother insisted on hearing the fire alarm system in their brand new store.

"Illya!"

She bolted, ignoring Blake's call. She forced her tiny legs as fast as she could, mending her way through the crowds.

But Blake caught up in an instant. "Illya, what's wrong?"

"Explosion. Brother's store," she said between bated breaths.

Blake's expression hardened. An explosion? In broad daylight? A robbery perhaps?

It was an unlikely thought, but the weight of the crime scene the two had just left was still fresh in her mind.

Illya stopped abruptly. Turning to her right, she pushed open a wooden door of a store and the blaring siren grew even louder. Blake stepped behind the girl. The lower lip of her mouth slowly dropped till her mouth hung agape.

The room smelled of burnt up charcoal. Smoke filled the store, so it was hard to see, but as the fire alarms blared into her ears, the smoke cleared, revealing Weiss and Yang lying on their backs in a crater. Charred and scratched weapons littered beside them.

A coughing fit from the counter caught Blake's attention. Ruby stepped out, fanning the smoke away her from her path with her hand. "Are you guys alright?" She called out.

A slur of confirmations sprouted from the two girls' mouth. They moaned and rubbed their heads. Ruby gave them her hands, and she helped them back to their feet.

They surveyed the extent of the destruction. A crater had been carved into the center of the explosion, scratching and charring several of the nearby weapons. The explosion was powerful but it wasn't large. The rest of the room was fine, save for the few weapons knocked from their place.

"What did you three do?" Blake's voice caught their attention. They finally noticed their last teammate at the door. They didn't miss the hiss of glaring disappointment in her eyes.

"Ugh, Blake! Funny story, actually!" Ruby tried not to panic. "Y'know how I once blew up Weiss' suitcase of dust back on our first day? Well, it's like that… But this time, I just broke the dust jars open. Yang was the one who exploded." Ruby gestured to the broken glass jars to her left and her freshly baked sister to her right. "Oh, and um, Weiss gave me the dagger to break the glass… so maybe um… it's not so funny after all…"

Ruby tried to explain as best as she could without incurring any more ire. She tried to play it off light-heartedly, but her panic was palpable.

"I see. I do remember you telling me that story last time, Ruby."

Illya's voice was cold and especially low. Her head was down, but she gazed unflinchingly at the ruined state of her brother's store through the bangs of her white hair. Her cat ears drooped, before trembling.

Ruby, Weiss and Yang lowered their heads. The guilt weighed down their shoulders only now when they noticed Illya.

"Illya…" Blake stared at the girl's trembling shoulders.

Illya's pale face colored red. Tears welled at her eyes. "Ruby… Weiss… you all… to Shirou's store…"

 _To the store Shirou painstakingly built to support us…_

"You all…!"

Before she could cry in outrage, a hand chopped down her head. She winced in pain.

"Yes, yes, let's not do anything we'll regret later down the line," a deep voice spoke from Illya's side.

When did he get there?

Standing next to the girl on the verge of a tantrum, the girl's brother and owner of the store, Emiya Shirou wore a perfectly stoic face.

"It's my fault."

His words brought Illya to a halt. She looked up at his resolute face. What did he mean?

* * *

 _Even a BROKEN SWORD can be redeemed..._

The screeching sound of senseless static paralyzed Emiya Shirou. His nerves frayed at the ends and suddenly his body was no longer his to control. Shirou flexed a muscle, or at least tried to. His muscles wouldn't budge. His joints locked in place.

The sound of shattering porcelain spurred him to look down. On the floor, a teapot had slipped free from his hands and broke into several jagged fragments. The pieces lied where they fell, in a green pool of spilled tea, never again to be whole. The image of a complete teapot shattered.

And so to was Shirou's memories. Fragmented. Inconsistent. Broken into chaotic shards.

 _W-who am I…? I'm.. $%^ EMIYA!? # Shirou… A Master…. no, ARCHER, a servant! A… Sword?_

His head spinning, Shirou glanced around his surroundings. A regular, if not small, kitchen. Some tea leaves and a thermos of hot water on the table. He had been making tea? For whom? Why would he even do such a thing? He was after all a-

 _SWORD!_

The idea filled the empty cracks in his mind, slipping into the gaps of where his memories and emotions should have been.

 _SWORD!_

That was right. His memories and even his personality were gone, this single truth remained. Whoever he was or had been, his body was made of…

 _SWORDS!_

His golden eyes lost their light, turning murky silver. His nerves overloaded with magical energy. His body became as hard as steel. His sleeves ripped apart, revealing his bare arms, their flesh marred with patches of a growing tan. Blue nerves glowed on his arms. Thin lines grew over his skin, before widening, opening his flesh. From these wounds, sprouted forth countless steel blades, spurting out fiery red blood.

 _STEEL is my BODY. FIRE is my BLOOD!_

His mouth twisted in pain. He suppressed a gut-curdling scream. This amount of pain was nothing. This level of suffering was only natural for him. For a sword like him who cuts down anyone and anything for the sake of a twisted ideal, this was only justice.

In his mind, between the static, images of a man standing alone on a hill flashed. The man's back was stabbed with dozens of swords. Each one different from the other, their blades digging into his flesh and bones.

That's right. This was him. He was a sword that could never truly save anyone. He was not a hero to be lauded, only a sword to be used and thrown away for the sake of destruction. He was a sword that would never be understood-

 _There's no way that's true._

The sword lost it's breath. The static in his mind steadily died down. His right eye returned to gold. He wasn't imagining it. Someone's voice was reaching him.

 _I don't want Shirou to sacrifice anything more for me._

Shirou? Who was that? Whose voice was this?

 _That's why I've decided to help him however I can! I'll be his pillar of support…_

The image within his mind changed. The man on the hill dimmed.

 _So that Shirou can stand properly!_

He saw the image of an immaculate doll's face. The smile she wore, so fragile and delicate, and yet so strong, refusing to bend to fate. It was the girl who once called him "brother" on a whim.

The swords growing on his arms stopped, before dispersing into blue particles of light. His wounds closed, threaded back together by metal strands of swords.

He blinked. He had returned from the brink. Emiya Shirou picked up a broom and swept away the shards of the broken teapot. His body revitalized with new warm energy. From the connection in his soul, prana flowed into him, slowly restoring his body's motor abilities.

Shirou placed the pieces of teapot in a trash bag and went out the back door to dispose of them. He was just about to drop the bag in the proper disposal bin when the ground beneath him shook. He stumbled, the effects of his earlier lapse in consciousness still lingering. He had to take a few moments to steady himself.

"What was-"

He frowned. The blaring sound of his store's fire alarm immediately grabbed his attention. He reinforced his body and forced himself to returned to the store in haste. His enhanced hearing picked up sounds of the girls' conversation. Something about a dust explosion and Ruby trying to ease things off.

Just as he got into the room and was about to speak, his nose twitched. He instantly caught the new scent of magic in the air, a gust of a brewing blizzard mixed with an inkling of ferocious killing intent.

Shirou had to think fast. He needed to stop his sister from making a mistake she'd regret.

He operated on what little he knew of the situation and what he thought to be the most optimal method of pacifying his sister.

He hit her square in the head and chided her. She cried out in pain indignantly and glared at him. Her eyes still furious.

It wasn't enough, he realized. Illya's anger was still smoldering. Her rage was understandable, but it was too strong and difficult to control. It needed a target.

So, Shirou became that target.

"It's my fault."

He would shoulder any sins if it should mean her happiness. He was her brother after all.

* * *

Illya didn't want to understand. It was childish of her, she knew that, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be angry.

"I was the one who selfishly asked them to watch over the store, in the first place," Her brother explained to her, scratching his cheek. "They didn't have to agree to help, but out of the kindness of their hearts, they did. If they made any mistakes during their watch, we can't really blame them for their inexperience, now can we?"

The girls in question had the tact to appear embarrassed at Shirou's words. Even if his logic was sound, it still didn't absolve them of all blame.

"We are truly sorry for the damages we've brought upon your store, Shirou, Illya." Weiss bowed her head low. "Rest assured. We will pay the full expenses for the repairs."

"Uh, Weiss, I don't know about that…" Ruby nervously glanced at her partner. The precarious state of her monthly allowance now on the line.

"Quiet you." Weiss grabbed the girl's head and forcibly brought it down to a bow as well. "At the very least, _I_ will cover the full expenses at least."

Shirou gave a perplexed look. "No, full expenses would a bit much…" While he was well aware of Weiss' status as the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, as to be expected, he was still reluctant about asking a teenage girl to pay what could potentially be a large sum of money.

Illya, on the other hand, glared at him. Her eyes blatantly telling her idiot of a brother to just accept the money.

"I insist." Weiss shook her head.

"Me too."

All eyes turned to the blonde brawler who up until now, had been in the middle of taking long deep breaths. Her temper having finally settled down, Yang Xiao Long addressed Shirou. "Even if you were the one who asked us to watch over your store. We were still the ones who accepted your request. We have to own up to our mistakes and take responsibility."

Ruby thoughtfully nodded at her sister's words. "Yeah, we have to clean up after ourselves."

Weiss looked at her teammates in a new light.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Shirou couldn't really argue with that. "How does half the cost sound?"

"Full cost." Weiss wouldn't budge.

"Three fourths?"

"Full cost, plus some premium quality SDC dust."

"Full cost then."

"Half the cost, with the quality SDC dust."

"Fine." Shirou sighed, finally compromising. "But you three are sure you can afford it?"

Weiss didn't think Shirou had the time to worry about the financial status of his customers when his store was still in its infancy. He was either confident in UBW's sales or kind to a fault. "We are certain. Right?"

Ruby and Yang nodded, and Shirou finally dropped the subject of compensation. He turned to his sister. "That okay with you?"

"If Shirou says it's fine then…" Illya pouted, looking away.

Shirou was about to ruffle Illya's hair when another hand beat him to it. Illya complained at the sudden patting and Shirou glanced at his sister's new companion who had remained silent all this time.

"Cheer up, Illya. My friends said they would pay, didn't they?" Blake tried her hand at calming the little girl down.

"I'm sorry," Shirou said. "We haven't met. You are?"

"Blake Belladonna." Blake removed her hand over Illya's hair. "I'm on the same team as these three in Beacon." She pointed her thumb at Ruby and the others. "As their teammate, I have to say I'm sorry for all the trouble they've caused."

"I see. It's fine really." Shirou smiled reassuringly. "I'm Shirou Emiya, Illya's brother and owner of this shop. How did you and Illya…?"

Blake raised her brow. Shirou called himself Illya's brother, but he was neither a faunus nor a von Einzbern like Illya. Perplexed, she saved her questions for later and answered the man's question first. "We met on the streets. Some thugs cornered her and I stepped in."

Shiro stiffened after hearing that. He shared a brief look with Illya.

 _We'll talk more about this later._

"Is that so? Thank you so much for saving my little sister," Shirou said. "I'd like to repay you, but first, I have to fix up my store…"

Shirou and the rest looked around at the chaotic state of UBW.

Today's afternoon work at Unlimited Blade Works seemed especially long.

Ruby and the girls, of course, volunteered their help.

* * *

 _That NIGHT…_

It was a quiet night that night. Atop the roof deck of Unlimited Blade Works, Emiya Shirou sat alone above a broken piece of machinery. He leaned back on his palms, his feet dangling over the broken machine, his head craned up to the night sky. His once lustrous golden eyes were murky, clouded in darkness.

The evening wind passed by like an ethereal visitor, bringing with it the chilly gusts of the coming fall, a promise of winter.

"Illya, how long are you going to mope like that?" He called out to the silence, his eyes never leaving the broken moon that hung in the sky.

The door to the roof deck creaked open. Illya stepped out, and slowly joined Shirou's side. "But… they destroyed _Onii-chan's_ store…" She pouted.

"You and I both know they didn't mean to." Shirou patted the spot beside him, inviting her to sit with him. "They're good people. Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang… Even without looking into their weapons, I could tell that much."

"I know, but still…" Illya sat next to her brother, not flinching at the cold metal seat. "I know it was an accident. But when I saw what they did, I… I really wanted to hurt them."

"Illya…"

He could not refute her words. He had felt her killing intent at the time. If he hadn't stepped in at that time…

"Does that make Illya a bad person, Shirou?" She clutched a handful of Shirou's left arm sleeve.

Shirou smiled at her. "No, of course not. You may be a bit more temperamental than others, but I know that deep down, you're a good person, Illya."

He rubbed her hair affectionately. "Illya is a kind girl who makes mistakes like everyone else. I'm sure with enough time you'll learn to forgive your new friends for what they did."

"You're not taking their side are you, Shirou?" She narrowed her eyes. "In the first place, none of this would have happened if you had just called me back instead of asking Ruby and her friends for help. With the contract between us, it would've been easy."

"I'm sorry," Shirou apologized, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "I didn't think about that and just thought it would be quicker to ask them for help."

Illya looked down glumly at that.

"Isn't it fine, Illya? Nobody really got hurt. I can fix the damaged weapons in an instant. And Weiss insisted she reimburse us for the damage and the used dust. She said she might even score us a good deal with the Schnee Dust Company."

Shirou, in truth, didn't really mind today's accident that much. The damages he suffered were by no means small, but they weren't irreparable. They were also the result of his own actions, asking his first customers to watch his shop. His only true concern was Illya's now strained relationship with Team RWBY.

" _Mou_ , I get it, Shirou. I'll forgive them for the accident. It's not like I can stay mad at them forever. They're my friends after all…" Illya grumbled sinking her head into Shirou's chest.

Friends. Yes, that was what Team RWBY had become to her, or at least, what she wanted them to be. In spite of today's trouble, Illya would still like to call them that.

"I'm glad to hear that, Illya." Shirou breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled happily at his sister, before scrunching up his nose. His eyes tensed. "I was right. You _do_ smell differently tonight, Illya."

The girl glanced to the side, her cat ears deflated. "I,I don't know what you're talking about."

Shirou sniffed and nodded. "No, it's very faint, but unmistakable. You used your powers today, didn't you? And not just at the store, somewhere else. Was it when you met Blake?"

It was not a question, but a statement of a fact. One Illya clearly had to divulge if she wished to set her brother at ease. Reluctantly, she relayed the events that transpired on the streets of Vale earlier that day. Her job of handing out fliers. Her unfortunate encounter with a hate group. Her little show of force against the men with her abilities. Her rescue at the hands of Blake.

By the end of the story, Shirou had his arms crossed. "I knew it wasn't a good idea for you to wear those accessories." He glanced at the cat tail and ears. "Nothing good comes from pretending to be a faunus."

"Are you saying I don't look cute at all wearing these, Shirou?" Illya asked coyly, wiggling her ears.

Shirou coughed into his fist, blushing. "I won't deny you look cute in them, Illya. But still if they put you in danger…" Shirou stopped himself and sighed. "Well, no matter what I say, it's already too late now. People have already seen you in them. They'd ask questions if they saw you without them now."

"Indeed, indeed." Illya nodded fervently.

"That being said." Shirou looked at her critically. "Why didn't you call me at the first sign of trouble? Like you said, the contract between us would have been enough. And if push came to shove, you could use a command se-"

"Absolutely not!"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked.

"I don't want to rely on Shirou for every little thing. And I most certainly will not waste a command seal for something I can handle on my own." Illya declared resolutely.

"Illya, what's gotten into you? You know if there's anything you ever need, I could in a heartbeat-"

"No." Illya furiously shook her head and embraced Shirou's left arm. "I don't want to be a burden to you any more than this, _Onii-chan_."

Shirou wanted to refute her words, that she wasn't a burden to him, that he would gladly give up anything for her. But Illya's earnest face told him it would've been useless. And Shirou couldn't help but admire his sister's resolve.

In the end, he didn't deny her words. He turned back to the moon, still shining in the dark sky, even though it was already broken inside. His thoughts returned to what he originally came up to the roof for. Thoughts of another night and another moon came to his mind.

"You know, Kiritsugu and I used to do this all the time," Shirou spoke quietly, but Illya heard every word. "We would spend countless nights like these, just gazing up at the moonlit sky.

"He never said much during those times. He just kept staring up at the sky. His eyes… they always looked kind of murky to me, like they had lost some important light long ago. But under the moon, they reflected a shine so radiant and regal. "

Illya hanged on to his every word. It was rare that Shirou talked about their father. She looked up at his eyes. Weren't they exactly as he had described his father's to be? Murky and obscured in haze?

"On our last night together, the old man finally told me what was on his mind during all those nights together. ' _When I was little, I wanted to be a hero of justice,'_ he told me. I asked him if he had given up."

"What did he say?"

Shirou snorted bitterly. "He said that being a hero was a limited-time thing, that when you grow older, it becomes harder to call yourself a hero… At the time, I didn't understand his feelings, not completely. Only that he was filled with regret and I wanted to save him."

"Kiritsugu…" Illya murmured the name of their father, the father she lost long ago.

Shirou raised his left hand to moon, as if he were desperately trying to catch the scattered light from its broken pieces. "I said I would become one in his stead. Not understanding anything, I took over his dream of becoming a Hero of Justice. But…"

He closed his outstretched hand into a fist. He gazed at the back of his palm, searching for the familiar marks he had lost long ago. He knew it was foolish of him. He had lost them the day he lost _her_ in the war. "I understand what Kiritsugu had felt that night now.

"You can't save everyone. Saving one means not being able to save another. If you try to save everyone with a naive dream of idealism, you'll just lose everything instead…"

"Shirou, that's…" Illya could not refute his words.

He stared at the broken moon, its many pieces still suspended in the sky. "I failed to become a Hero of Justice. I did my best running around the Holy Grail War saying I would save everyone, and what happened? I lost everyone I cared about." He smiled bitterly. "I wasn't able to save anyone."

 _Not Fuji-nee, not Issei, not Saber, not Rin and certainly not Sakura._

"That's not true!" Illya shouted. "Shirou saved me. When everything was impossible, when I had lost Berserker and had given up already, you saved me!"

"Illya." Shirou stared at his sister, as if his memory had only now been pieced together. "Right, I was able save Illya at least. I saved Illya. _I_ saved Illya. I did, didn't I? Did I really do that?" He scratched his hair furiously, trying to recollect his memories, segregating them from _his memories_. He panicked, his heart ready to burst.

"Shirou, please," Illya hugged her brother, trying to calm him down. " _Shirou is my Onii-chan,_ my hero."

Shirou stilled. His rapid heartbeat slowing back to regularity.

He felt Illya's warmth wrap around him. "You know, Shirou, I don't know much about our dad's ideals. I never knew him as well as you did in his last days. So, unfortunately, I wasn't able to inherit any of his ideals.

"But I do have a wish," Illya whispered. "After mama and papa didn't come back after the fourth grail war, I had given up on it. But since meeting you, since getting to know my wonderful _Onii-chan_ , I've remembered it."

Illya smiled beautifully, tears in her eyes. From the bottom of her heart, she spoke her wish.

" _I wanted a family._ "

Shirou's mind paused. Its broken splinters slowly returned to their place, held together by his little sister's smile. His memories and _that man_ ' _s_ memories mended together. Their feelings united in one single thought.

 _I want to protect this smile._

Emiya Shirou was a broken man who had given up on his ideals. He was man who had failed to become a Hero of Justice like his father before him. But just like his father, he was able to save at least one precious life.

Shirou embraced Illya. Her small body enveloped by his much larger one. " _Baka_ , saying that now. We've been a family for a long time now, haven't we?"

Illya mumbled content in his arms.

It was a beautiful broken moon that night in Remnant. Two siblings in each other's arms. Having lost everything, the brother and sister would do anything for the sake of the other's happiness. Even if it meant making the entire World of Remnant as their enemy.

* * *

 _Elsewhere that night, at the top of a certain tower..._

A man in glasses drank from a mug of coffee. His gray disheveled hair looked particularly more haggard this night. His weary eyes were trained on the reports flashed on his desk screen. He'd been at this for hours, browsing through reports of escalated Grimm activity throughout the whole continent.

He yawned into his hand. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Perhaps he should retire for the night?

A beeping noise shook him free from his somnolent spell. His scroll glowed to life on his desk. He read the sender of his new message and immediately opened its contents:

 _From: QROW_

 _QUEEN has NEW PAWNS. WINTER has fallen._

The man almost spitted out his coffee. The gravity of the news shook him to the core. It was as he feared.

Another Maiden had fallen from their side.

* * *

Author's Note:

As per several reviewers comments, I tried to make Illya a little more bloodthirsty. In this chapter, she well, almost killed Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and maybe Blake too. What can I say, Illya's temper tantrums are worse than Yang's.

Even if it's the entire World of Remnant, Onii-chan and Imouto will conquer all!

Thanks for reading.


	5. The Early Morning

_DAWN waits for no one, ready or not..._

The council had been gathered at the utmost haste. Qrow's message quickly spread around Ozpin's little circle of trust come early morning.

Ozpin himself sat firmly behind his desk. His morning cup of coffee remained untouched. To his right stood one of his most trusted confidants, Glynda Goodwitch. The two of them faced the gathered individuals on the screens before them. Three different people on separate screens. All of them just as agitated as Ozpin and Glynda.

"I believe you've all read Qrow's latest report?" Ozpin jumped right into the fray.

"Of course we have! This is incredulous. The Winter Maiden, attacked and assumed dead? What is the meaning of this, Ozpin?!" The headmaster of Haven Academy demanded.

Glynda frowned at the man's impatience, but held her tongue.

Ozpin on the other hand, indulged his fellow academy headmaster's concerns. "It's as the report said. The Winter Maiden's lodgings had been compromised by the time Qrow arrived on the scene. Her whole estate was in ruins and no survivors were found." Ozpin frowned, glancing at the upper most screen with the image of a stern man in white. "What I would like to know is how this tragedy was able to transpire under your watch, James."

General James Ironwood of Atlas Academy furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth.

"The Winter Maiden's security was Atlas' responsibility, was it not?" Glynda added, particularly eager to land a few blows at the man's pride. "How do you explain yourself?"

The council's eyes all rested on Ironwood. He coughed into his fist first, before speaking.

"I take full responsibility for this loss," Ironwood shut his eyes and bowed. " _Winter_ was entrusted into my care. And I let our enemies get to her. I have no real excuses but only this truth.

"As per our previous consensus after what befell _Fall_ , the rest of the maidens were to be swiftly secured. Atlas of course, kept our side of the bargain and made steps to secure _Winter_. We had guards stationed to her person 24/7 in an Atlesian Military Base, the securest location in all of Atlas.

"However, _Winter_ was… difficult to control. She didn't respond well to her bodyguards and didn't agree with our safety policies. She was brash and selfish, only ever thinking about her own needs."

Ozpin noticed the scowl growing on James' face. He couldn't help but wonder just how much of what the man was saying was objective fact and how much of it was just the man's bias showing.

" _Winter_ insisted she be allowed off the base camp. She said she wanted her 'freedom' and made periodic requests to 'be her own person'." Ironwood shook his head. "Of course, we refused her selfish demands and tried to appease her. But…

"A few months ago, she became rebellious. Things only worsened once she found out about Atlas' _latest research topics."_

Everyone on the council winced. It was common knowledge among their circle that Atlas' latest research was directed towards finding a method of saving what little remained of the Fall Maiden's powers. It was experimental technology that could in theory transfer the powers of a Maiden to another person. If the rebellious Winter Maiden had found out about that line of research…

"She didn't trust you?" Ozpin surmised, his left eye twitched.

"Unfortunately." Ironwood nodded. "She stormed her way out of the compound that night and fled the continent."

"And you just let her?" Glynda asked incredulous.

"She was a Maiden! A force of nature in the flesh! What were we supposed to do?" Ironwood defended himself. His raised voice riled everyone up.

Ozpin however, remained calm and stared at James, patiently requesting for more.

"Of course, we didn't just let her stroll out into the unknown. We demanded that she at least be stationed a security team, and she allowed us to post guards around her choice of residence, provided that it be relatively isolated."

"Which was the site of destruction Qrow reported about," Ozpin concluded, bringing up to the screen the images Qrow attached to his message.

The images were hazy, taken in the dark wilderness, but the broken figure of what was once a cottage on a snowy mountain was unmistakable. Torn down walls covered in icy frost, wooden beams cut cleanly.

"Yes," Ironwood sighed. "Before _Winter_ left, she made it clear she would be staying in her grandparents' cottage on the Northern Mountains of Anima. She said she grew up around the area and that very little people ever visited the place. But what really made the location ideal for her hiding place was-"

"Her connection to the terrain, yes?" Glynda cut the man off.

Ironwood's eye twitched but he continued. "Yes. As she was the Maiden of Winter, the snowy Northern slopes of Anima would have been where her element would be at its strongest."

Ozpin nodded. A Maiden's powers were tied to the forces of nature itself, and naturally drew from the strength of the land. It was why one wouldn't want to fight the Fall Maiden next to an active volcano.

"Which means that whoever assaulted the Winter Maiden managed to overpower her at her peak," Headmaster Lionheart concluded grimly.

"Or they could have deceived her with trickery," Glynda offered.

Ozpin took a sip at his coffee. His eyes brushed over the images Qrow sent, noticing the many holes and cuts on the broken wooden walls.

"We can be sure it wasn't a Grimm attack at the very least. Those marks are on the wood are too clean for any Grimm's claws." The headmaster of Shade Academy joined in.

"Your men." Ozpin looked at Ironwood. "The soldiers you had stationed at the cottage. When was the latest report they sent you?"

Ironwood's eyes darkened. "They were scheduled to report at monthly intervals. It's difficult to get Scroll signals up on the mountains after all. The high rise and the jagged cliffs affect the signals."

"When did they last report to you?" Ozpin repeated the question.

"Nearly a month ago."

"Which means the Winter Maiden may have been attacked as far back as a month ago, and we're only now discovering this." Ozpin closed his eyes and took another gulp of his coffee.

"Oz…" Ironwood didn't know what to say.

The headmaster of Beacon Academy finished his cup of coffee and set his mug down on the table. "Our enemies are growing stronger and bolder. Qrow mentioned the addition of new pawns, though he didn't elaborate any more. But somehow some time ago, the enemy found out _Winter's_ location and overwhelmed her at her own territory.

"We have to consider the worst-case scenario and assume that the enemy has succeeded, and stolen _all of the Winter Maiden's powers_."

The entire council drew their breath.

"Which means that somewhere out there right now, the enemy has one of four of the most powerful forces on Remnant all to herself."

* * *

"Shirou~! I want pancakes for breakfast!"

A high-pitched cry pierced through the hazy early morning atmosphere of Unlimited Blade Works. The door to the rooftop opened with a slam and a super energetic girl with cat ears stepped out. She took a minute to bask in the majestic light of the rising sun, before bursting into an excited sprint around the roof-deck, her arms outstretched like wings.

"Pancakes? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

A somewhat groggy but stern voice answered the girl's flippant request. A red-haired boy stepped out of the open door. He wore a black and cerulean tracksuit. He shielded his eyes from the initial glare of dawn with his free hand. In his other hand, he carried a small-sized purple tracksuit. His eyes widened when he spotted his sister.

"Come on, Illya, you shouldn't run too much without stretching!" Shirou reprimanded her.

But the girl didn't seem to hear his complaints and continued to run the perimeter of the roof-deck. Her mouth opened wide, taking in the strange mix of chilly air and warm sunlight. Every so often, her fingertips would graze the metal fence around the roof-deck and the metal frame would glow silver.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Illya said after running a whole lap of the perimeter. "More importantly _,_ Shirou, I've set up the Bounded Field like you requested. So, how about those pancakes?"

Shirou sighed. "Thanks for that. And well, it's not like we don't have the ingredients necessary for pancakes. But where is this coming from?"

Illya harrumphed and twirled her cat tail. "You see, it just so happened yesterday when I was handing out fliers on the street, I came across a couple. The girl was _really_ _enthusiastic_ about pancakes and kept on pestering her boyfriend to make her some."

"I see…" Shirou thought the reason was too flimsy.

"At the time, I remembered how I've never tried pancakes myself and thought, ' _I should have my boyfriend make me some too!_ '," Illya explained.

Now, _that_ was a much stronger reason. Still, Shirou shook his head. "Illya, I'm your brother, you know."

"Hm? What's your point, Shirou?"

This girl… Did she have no qualms with siblings being in a relationship? Shirou coughed into his hand. "Siblings can't get married. It's against the law." He knew he was running away from the heart of the situation, hiding behind the law.

"Don't sweat the details, Shirou. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Illya pouted, waving off his concerns. "Anyway, so, pancakes?" She puffed her cheeks.

Shirou smiled wryly. "If you stretch properly with me before our work out, I'll make you all the pancakes you want."

"Yippee!" Illya jumped up in triumph.

Shirou smirked at his sister's excitement, but frowned once he noted her choice of clothing again. "Illya, it's pretty chilly this early in the day. Maybe you should at least cover up a bit...?" He raised the purple tracksuit to her.

"No way." Illya shook her head instantly.

Shirou winced at her flat-out rejection. It went against his morals, but his sister insisted on wearing her usual exercise attire. It was a simple combination of a white shirt with purple bloomers and running shoes. Perhaps in an elementary school somewhere, this would have been standard gym uniform. But the bloomers Illya chose only covered the minimum amount of skin. Given her childish body, it wasn't exactly a bad fit. But with the knowledge that she was actually older than him and the strangely tense feeling in his chest, Shirou couldn't stare directly at Illya for too long.

If only she would follow his example of wearing a tracksuit.

"Don't your legs feel a little cold?" Shirou tried to reason one more time.

"This paltry level of cold is nothing compared to the Einzbern Castle's," Illya deadpanned.

"Right, my bad," Shirou apologized for bringing up the past unexpectedly. He set the purple tracksuit aside and exhaled. He smiled at Illya. "Well, stretch with me and we'll have pancakes for breakfast."

"Yes," Illya replied and quickly copied Shirou's stance.

The two of them went through Shirou's usual routine of stretching quietly. Sweat dripped down their bodies under the beating sun. They finished their stretching with breathing exercises. Their breaths in perfect rhythm with one another. Their eyes closed, they exhaled deeply one last time.

"Illya, the Bounded Field is set up perfectly, right?"

"Of course, right now everyone within a five-kilometer radius is receiving the compulsion not to look up here. Anyone further away will see nothing out of the ordinary, and any disturbance we make in here cannot be detected."

Shirou nodded. He had to make sure there were no bystanders to witness their morning ritual. It would be troublesome to have to erase their memories.

They opened their eyes and stepped away from each other, until there was a good distance between them. In this closed off space, the two of them, brother and sister, stared at one another. No more words would be exchanged. Right now, they were…

"Trace on."

" _Degen_."

Two black and white dao swords appeared in Shirou's hands.

Two silver wire-construct swords hovered over Illya's shoulders.

They were two magi facing each other in combat.

Their swords clashed with explosive force and the air trembled.

Steel screeched into Shirou's ears. His swords Kanshou and Bakuya gritted against two of Illya's gigantic épée swords. The force behind their thrusts strong enough to crush his skull. His nose twitched, catching the scent of fresh alcohol in the air. He reacted instinctively, breaking away from the giant blades and dodging two bullets of magical energy at the last minute.

Around Illya, three new wire-construct birds hovered, firing an endless barrage of prana bullets at him. Shirou's eyes changed into silver and he let Archer's combat experience flow into him. Through pure battle instinct, he saw a few seconds into the future. The trajectories clear to him. He deflected the lethal shots with Kanshou and Bakuya, and dodged the rest. He retreated a few steps back, giving himself more room to dodge.

Illya wouldn't let up though. She brushed her hands through her hair and pulled out four strands, creating four more bird familiars. Their beaks aimed at Shirou. Like the rest of the flock, they fired at him mercilessly.

Shirou bolstered the reinforcement in his legs tenfold. The strength beneath his feet rivaling a Servant's, he ran across the roof deck in short bursts. He leapt into the air, blocked shots with his swords and used their momentum to reach the edge of the Bounded Field. He kicked his feet against the magical wall and propelled himself like a rocket.

" _Trace OVEREDGE."_

Kanshou and Bakuya thrummed with power in his hands. The two swords sang and their blades grew, expanding into jagged long swords. With their new extended reach, the married swords tore through the flock of bird familiars, blocking against any fired shots, before bursting into a shower of deadly shards that rained down on the familiars.

Illya switched gears and jumped back. With a cold look in her eyes, she pulled out several more strands and waved her arm in command.

Shirou landed on a broken piece of machinery and Archer's instincts screamed at him to dodge for his life. The birds came after him in organized formation, spreading apart and firing from all around him, giving him no room to dodge.

A jagged line of tan skin grew over Shirou's silver eyes and Archer's circuits went to work. He projected several mundane giant swords to serve as a wall. It was only a stopgap. The steel easily broke, but it bought him enough time to project several pairs of the married swords. With Archer's trained eyes, he threw them into the air.

The birds dodged the spinning blades. Their autonomous state giving them the freedom to fly as wildly as necessary. They acted coordinated though, never crashing into each other or entering each other's line of fire.

Illya was being serious today, Shirou noted. The familiars more bloodthirsty than usual. Was this thanks to the promise of pancakes for breakfast?

Archer scolded him for straying his thoughts. His body acted without him and Shirou found himself dodging several birds that transformed into swords. Their giant dull blades embedded into the concrete where he stood only moments ago.

He was reminded again of the situation. His sister was trying to kill him. Nothing especially new. Just difficult to swallow.

Illya snapped her fingers and the swords stabbed into the floor rose up, and flew at him again as birds. In turn, some of the birds morphed into swords and thrust at his direction.

Shirou returned to his dodging and defending with another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya. He destroyed several more familiars, but Illya kept making more. It was beginning to become overwhelming.

"That's good. Something like this."

A few strands of his hair turned white and for a moment, Shirou returned to that fateful night under Mount Enzo. Standing against an endless armory of legendary weapons, facing the King of Heroes himself. He felt again that animalistic instinct in him to survive no matter what was thrown against him.

Cuts and scorch marks spread across his tracksuit now. But his body wouldn't break. He kept on moving, dodging, blocking, and destroying more birds with his projected swords in a frenzy. All the while, his eyes kept observing the birds' movement, analyzing their flight pattern.

 _Now's about the time…_

Shirou projected Kanshou and Bakuya again. And with his mind, he called for all the swords he had thrown earlier. He hadn't let them fade away into motes of prana. They were still right where he left them. He threw his new pair of swords at a specific direction and the birds dodged the spinning blades like before.

Shirou's mouth twisted into a devilish grin.

The birds dodged the spinning blades **just like before**.

The copies of Kanshou and Bakuya left littering the battlefield took to the air, spinning to their fated partners. The birds moved away just as he expected them to and Shirou quickly threw one more pair of swords. The effect was instantaneous, the flight curves of the storm of swords changed. The birds never had the chance to dodge as deadly steel crashed into them. They all suffered the same end.

The wire-constructs all shattered into a shower of silver dust. Shirou released the swords' form and they broke away into particles of blue, creating the image of falling snow on a wintry night.

Silence fell over the roof-deck. The two magi stood wordlessly amidst the aftermath of their battle. Their magic circuits settled down and their breathing slowly returned to normal.

The two smiled at each other warmly. The battle now over, they regarded each other as brother and sister once again.

Illya broke the silence and clapped her hands. "As expected of my _Onii-chan_ , taking out all my familiars at once with a single move like that. Shirou can't lose to anyone!"

Shirou wiped the sweat off his forehead and chuckled. "It wasn't anything special. It took me forever to figure out your Storch Ritter's flight algorithm. Archer would've gotten it in half the time."

 _That's a given. The difference between our skills is like night and day._

He frowned at his other self's sharp words, but knew he couldn't deny them.

"Nonsense, Shirou's just as good as Archer," Illya insisted, walking up to him. She leaned forward and tilted her head. "So, how'd I do today? Was I close to what you were looking for, Shirou?"

"Ah." He nodded and patted her head. "You did well today. For a moment there, I thought I was fighting Goldie. Thank you for that."

Illya smiled in relief. Glad to know her efforts had been in the right direction. "Though, I'm sorry I had to stop the fight where I did. I still had plenty of prana to spare, but if we fought any longer…" Illya frowned uncertainly.

Shirou's eyes returned to their gold color. The tan marks over his skin slowly faded. His hair regained their vibrant red flair. His body instantly felt heavy with fatigue. His bones and muscles were screaming at him for what he had them endure.

"I know. I would have reached my current limit," Shirou said shakily, between his panting for breath.

"Shirou!" Illya helped keep him upright, letting his sweat-drenched form lean on her shoulders.

"Hehe, today's match was pretty fierce, huh?" Shirou smiled through the ache encompassing his entire body.

 _Fool, know your own limits, will you? You're not invincible._

"I know," Shirou muttered under his breath.

Illya heard the irritation in her brother's quiet voice but didn't bring it up. She walked slowly and propped him up against the broken machine with the fresh new dent.

Shirou wheezed. He looked up to the seemingly endless horizon. He could still see some faint traces of Remnant's shattered moon. He frowned. His current state was just too pathetic. Simply activating the circuits inside him was a risk, but letting them stay activated for an extended period of time was another level of crazy altogether. Case in point, the snarky voice inside his head right now.

 _I heard that, idiot._

Shirou closed his fist and sighed. This was no good. At his current strength, he wouldn't be able to protect what was important to him…

Warmth settled onto his side. He looked to his left and found Illya sitting next to him. Her arms wrapped around his left arm. Her eyes closed contently.

"Please don't think too hard about it, Shirou _._ I can take care of myself just fine." She snuggled her head against his shoulder. "You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

He widened his eyes at her words. He had made Illya worry? Over him? Truthfully, Shirou didn't think someone like him was worth being worried about. After all the mistakes he had made in the past, the lives he had cost, he didn't deserve to be worried over.

But staring into his sister's sad frown, he couldn't deny her feelings. Whether he wanted it or not, she _was_ worried about him. Despite the fact she knew of all his failures, she still cared about him.

Shirou didn't like seeing Illya worry, but another part of him felt happy at the prospect. He leaned back next to her and accepted her comfort.

"Give me a few minutes to recover and I'll make us some pancakes."

Shirou felt the smile creep onto Illya's face from his shoulder.

The early birds of Vale flew overhead. It was just another morning for the Emiya-Einzbern siblings.

* * *

Author's Note:

During their fight, Shirou is wearing a version of his Capsule Servant outfit and Illya is wearing her uniform from Tiger Dojo, because reasons.

Shameless self-promotion plug-in: I started a new story titled "Fate Zero: Sword's Redemption" and as the title might suggest, it's another Shirou-insert-story, but this time it's the Fate/Zero World. Please check it out if you're interested.

On Hiatus until December.

Thank you for reading.


	6. Another Morning

_The coming of ANOTHER MORNING means the End of Another Dream…_

Ruby Rose slept like a log. She shuffled about her bed, tossing and turning. She wore her usual ensemble of pajamas, a black tank top with white pants patterned with pink roses, and a black sleeping mask over her eyes. Drool leaked out of the side of her open mouth. She mumbled every now and then, mutterings of unintelligible half-words.

A giggle escaped her lips, and her arms shot up as if to reach out to something. Of course, they caught nothing but air, falling lazily back down. Still, a grin was plastered on her face. She was having another pleasant dream this morning.

* * *

Ruby did not know where she was.

Lost in a land of intense fog, she wandered aimlessly. The fog surrounded her, swallowing up everything in sight. The sky, the land, the sun, all of it consumed by thick a gray mist. As if the whole world itself were wrapped in sweet oblivion. It disoriented her, screwing with her sense of direction so bad, she couldn't tell north from south. She took another step, and she felt her boots press onto dry dirt. She at least had that piece of information. She was in some kind of desert or open terrain.

"Hellooo? Is anyone there?" She called out into oblivion. "Please! Help! I have no idea where I am!" She flailed her hands wildly to get someone's, anyone's attention.

Her actions however were for naught, and the only reply she received was the echo of her own desperate cry for help. Her shoulders slumped, and her head sunk low. She squinted at the sole patch of dirt clearly visible to her, the one she stood on. She kicked the stuff into the air. The dirt particles quickly vanished into oblivion as well.

She sighed dejectedly, before craning her neck to her back. She stared at Crescent Rose, loyally strapped to her waist. "At least I'm not entirely alone, huh, partner." The weapon gave no reply of course, but its mere presence calmed her nerves, even for a little.

"Just, where are we?" She muttered to herself, sighing.

Time seemed to flow endlessly slow in the fog.

 _I am the bone of my sword._

The words came from nowhere, echoing across her mind. Her silver eyes darted around, a shard of hope in her growing. She searched for the source of the voice. There was still no one there. But then she felt a hot blast of air slap her face. She had to shield her face as her red cape fluttered, the winds howling at her eardrums.

 _So as I pray, give me…_

 _Unlimited Blade Works!_

The words rang in her ears, catching her interest at the last three familiar words. She dared to open her eyes and they widened.

The veil of oblivion had been blown over, revealing a world beyond her comprehension. She stood in a literal unlimited blade works. A deserted landscape ravaged in an endless array of swords. The sky was a resplendent twilight where gigantic gears that did not turn hung.

She lost her breath. Her eyes and mouth widening, she approached the closest sword, a golden yellow gladius planted erect into the dirt. She studied its make, the perfection in its craft, the way the metal hummed with power, almost as if it were a living being of its own. On instinct, she grabbed its hilt and pulled. But it wouldn't budge.

"Come. On." Ruby heaved, her two hands gripping the handle. "Ugh!" Her hands slipped, and she sent herself stumbling backwards. Her head knocked against the jagged blade of another sword, but her aura shielded her from most of the damage. "Ow…" She rubbed her head. For some reason, the hit hurt more than it should have. Was there something special about the sword?

She tried her hand at the next sword. This one close to arm's length, its blade a serrated wedge of polished stone. She pulled her hardest, but like the sword before, it resisted her. The stone sword released a crunching noise, as if it were burying itself deeper in to the dirt, refusing to be wielded.

"Stupid awesome swords. Won't even let me play with them…" Ruby grumbled, stalking away from the sword.

But it was impossible to keep frowning, not when every step she took forward, she would encounter another new sword, just as cool and special as the last. She couldn't resist the temptation and tried pulling each one out. But the results were the same every time. They all rejected her in the same manner, thrumming with displeasure at simply being held by her hands before burying themselves deeper into the ground.

The swords were all beautiful weapons, dangerous-looking and flashy. But if she couldn't even play with them, what good were they to her? It was the cruelest thing she ever experienced, like somebody had shoved a slice of strawberry shortcake to her face and told her she couldn't have any. It was plain torture, the most exciting and annoying form of torture possible.

"What kind of joke is this….?" Ruby sighed, her hopes thinning.

She was just about to give up when her peripheral vision caught a flash of red. Her brows furrowed. Was that? Recognition overcame her as she got closer to the weapon. Her eyes followed its black and red length, all the way down to its giant curved blade planted into the dirt. The shape and design were unmistakable. After all, she had crafted its frame herself. It was _her_ weapon, Crescent Rose, standing firm next to the countless other peerless blades.

She looked behind her back just to be sure, but just like before, Crescent Rose was still strapped to her waist. She turned back to the second Crescent Rose, scrutinizing all its details. Every twist and turn she once shaped, her personal signatures, they were all there. It was a perfect copy of her own weapon. But how was that possible?

She picked the scythe up and unlike the rest of the blades, Crescent Rose obeyed her. She easily plucked it out of the dirt and swung it a few times. Even its weight and feel were the same. She returned the Crescent Rose to the ground and took another sweep across the strange land. Different swords were scattered everywhere, but Ruby spotted two familiar ones within the pile, Myrtenaster and Gambol Shroud, her teammates' weapons.

"What is this place?" Ruby asked herself once again.

 _Unlimited Blade Works_ , she had heard the voice speak in her mind earlier. Strange. The only Unlimited Blade Works she knew of was a newly opened store in downtown Vale, not this endless field of swords.

She kept on walking, the questions inside her continued to bubble up, but they never popped into any answers. Her feet eventually carried her to a familiar steel dagger, one she could not fail to recognize. It was _Lygarstung_ , the dagger of treachery, ruin and devastation, the downfall of many a weapons store.

Okay, no, it was just Lygarstung, a dagger from Shirou's store. But to Ruby's mind, this dagger was the catalyst for her team's most recent blunder, one that almost cost them the loss of two new friends. It was only natural for some unsavory feelings for the blade lingered within her.

She tested the dagger's hilt in her hands and pulled. Somehow, she knew this blade would not deny her like the rest. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the handle and spoke its name.

" _Lygarstung_!"

The dagger's tongue flew, its deadly edge tied to the hilt by an extendible wire. Ruby waved her hands and the wire bended, following her lead, twisting and coiling like a snake. It was different from before. This time, Ruby was fully aware of the dagger's capabilities and wasn't taken by surprise. She played around with its handle and the tongue of steel seemingly read her mind and bended according to her will perfectly. She continued to play around with it, figuring that aside from Crescent Rose, it was probably the only one she could freely use in the field of swords.

A giggle escaped from her lips as the dagger's blade sailed in the air, following her every gesture and command. Ruby ran across the land, _Lygarstung_ 's blade following her like a kite attached to a string. She was just about to forgive the dagger for causing so much trouble before when she approached a hill of swords. The top of the hill looked high enough it could reach the horizon.

 _You all… To Shirou's store… I… I'll…_

A new voice echoed across the world of swords, and suddenly everything froze. Ruby stopped in her tracks. She watched in horror as the light died out. The sun and gears up above were devoured by a dark night. Snow fell from the black sky as all traces of warmth vanished. The earth froze over. Frost and ice began to grow over the swords, encasing them, trapping them in a chilly embrace. The steel wire of Lyarstung froze in place, remaining stiffly curved in the air.

Ruby shivered. She dropped the dagger's handle and rubbed her shoulders, but it was futile. A blizzard was growing, and she was caught in the middle of it. The world around her became bleaker and bleaker. Everything slowly being buried under a cold white. The sky a pitch black.

She felt her feet tingle, and she widened her eyes in alarm. The ice grew on her feet, climbing up her legs. She tried to move away, to escape from the sheer cold. But it was impossible. The ice slowly crawled up her body, numbing her senses one by one, until all she could feel was the gnawing void of any sensation. In a matter of minutes, she went from shivering in pain to wishing she _could_ feel pain.

"No, no, no! This can't be happening," she screamed. "T-this can't b-be-"

She tried to speak, but her tongue froze stiff. Her mouth fixed agape, begging to release a cry that could not escape. She felt the ice crawl over her cheeks, approaching her eyes, threatening to steal her vision once and for all, to shut her world entirely into the cold unforgiving Winter.

Was this how it was going to end?

 _…I'll kill you all._

The voice spoke again, finishing its earlier sentence. In the depravity of her senses, Ruby recognized the voice to be that of a little girl's. Someone she knew. Someone she knew was trying to kill her.

 _NO! Not like this. I. WON'T. DIE. LIKE. THIS!_

She screamed. From the depths of her soul, she screamed one final defiance, and her eyes released a silver light. Two pillars of brilliant silver sprouted from her eye sockets and lit up the night sky. They swirled and wrapped around her body, melting the ice and dispelling the cold. Her tongue thawed, and her screams found their voice again. The light grew even more violent.

She continued to wail on that isolated hill. Her silver light shining defiantly, banishing the Winter and World of Swords altogether. Everything was swept away in silver, black and white disappearing, until she alone remained. Her voice eventually wavered, finally losing strength.

Ruby collapsed onto her small patch of dirt, tears in her eyes. Her throat hoarse and dry. Her eyes felt like they were bleeding, leaking out a warmth they shouldn't. She shut her eyes and the world returned to a misty oblivion.

* * *

"NO!"

Two silver orbs glowed past her black sleeping mask. Ruby sprang up from her bed in a jolt of panic. She banged her head against the ceiling, and the pain and disorientation of having just woken up from a nightmare mixed into a slurry cocktail of delirium.

Catching her breath, she slid off the mask and stared at her own room. Her entire world was spinning, so she tried to get a grip by taking in her familiar surroundings.

It was okay. She was safe here. She was safe in her own room, in the company of her own…

"Huh?"

She shook her head and the world finally steadied. No one else was in the room of Team RWBY. Had she overslept into the afternoon or something? She glanced at the alarm clock. It was only half past eight in the morning. No one on their team was a morning person, which begged the question.

"Where is everybody?"

* * *

Sweat dripped down the bangs of Weiss' hair, cascading off the sides of her face. She wiped them away, and felt her hair loosen out of place. She readjusted the tiara tying back her hair to the side. She breathed a sigh. There. She could feel her hair lock perfectly back in place.

"Ready for another round?" Her sparring partner asked her.

She returned her attention to her teammate Blake, who much like her, was catching her breath. Sweat glistening, her black hair had a new sheen to it.

They'd been at it since the training room had opened at six. Sparring against each other, testing the limits of their abilities and getting a feel of their newly reinforced swords. Neither of them were normally early risers but today had been an exception.

"How about we practice that maneuver Ruby named a couple of days ago?" Weiss suggested for a change of pace.

Weiss had woken up that morning early to steel herself for what she was going to do later that day. She had to place an order for top quality SDC dust with her father's company. A task that would have been normally fine if she and her father were on speaking terms, which they weren't.

"I don't mind but," Blake unsheathed her sword and held the blade and sheath in reverse grip. "Can you keep up this time?" She smirked playfully.

Weiss snorted. "Likewise." She drew her rapier and got into her fighting stance. "Computer. Run Scenario Gamma, Colossal Enemy. Set limit, two minutes," She barked orders to the training room simulator.

The screens around the room lit red and a hatch opened to introduce a large drone. It had a bipedal, vaguely human form. If Weiss compared it to the drones she saw in Atlas, it was a like a shoddy version of an Atlesian Paladin. But that didn't mean they could underestimate it. Its difficulty was set to average and they only had a small window of two minutes to beat it before the thing was set to deactivate.

The girls wasted no time and rushed into the drone. They attacked in tandem. Blake spun around and used the rotational momentum to deliver swift consecutive slices at one of the legs. Weiss twirled in the air like a ballerina, letting her close the distance in an instant and gracefully deliver a piercing blow at the droid's chest. She landed back on the ground, striking more blows at the other leg.

They drove the machine back. This maneuver depended on the two girls working together to create a relentless wave of attacks that built up into an overwhelming two-pronged assault. Timing and synchronization was key. Focus tantamount. But more importantly…

"Weiss!" Blake called out as she switched places with a shadow copy to avoid an attack. Weiss flicked her wrist and created a platform to kick against and dodge a dangerous blow.

Trust between the two girls was integral. For the maneuver to work, Weiss and Black had to dash at the enemy headfirst, entrusting each other's back to one another to attack without fear of damage. Two huntresses, attacking as one, defending as one.

The Droid reached its critical stage, activating its final form. It changed its attack pattern and broke the two's wave of attack.

Weiss and Blake backflipped in perfect sync, creating enough space between them and the droid to regain control of the fight.

The two's coordinated maneuver had been broken. Only one minute left on the clock. No time to think of another strategy. They would have to try the same attack again, making a few adjustments along the way. There was no time to hesitate. If they failed once, they just had to try again.

After all, practice made perfect.

* * *

A yellow blur buzzed through the streets of Vale. A speeding motorcycle just precariously close to breaking the speed limit. The roar of its mechanical engine pierced through the quiet atmosphere of the early day. It cruised through the scant morning traffic, narrowly avoiding collision with any of its fellow drivers or pedestrians. To a bystander's eyes, it would seem the rider was tempting disaster, edging to the point of a crash but never crossing that line.

Yang Xiao Long had no intention of crashing though. She was in total and complete control of her machine. Her gloved hands on the handlebars. She intimately felt every beat of the engine. Her senses focused to the hundred percent, she perceived the entire road perfectly. Through the lenses of her aviator glasses, she could see it clearly. The path she chose to drove on was a needlessly dangerous one, some might even call suicidal. But dammit, she was Yang Xiao Long. She was born dangerous.

Yang grinned. She loved the feel of the wind against her hair, that refreshing slap of resistance in her face. She reveled in the way her hair flew in the air, all golden and majestic, without a single strand being blown away. Her lilac eyes darkened at that thought, remembering the events of yesterday.

She hadn't meant for things to escalate that way. It was just a single moment of blind rage. That's all it was. She knew Ruby hadn't meant to cut her hair. She knew that it wasn't her sister's fault. All she wanted to do was blow-off some steam with maybe a scream or two. But no, she hadn't heeded Weiss' warning, didn't notice the airborne dust particles and paid the price, literally exploding and setting off the smoke alarms.

It was embarrassing is what it was. Losing control and inadvertently destroying the store of a guy she had just met. Especially, one who her teammates had taken a shine to. And then there was that guy's sister, Illya. She had never before seen a kid look so pissed as Illya did. That was no face a child would have. Just thinking about the cold way she regarded them, like they were just toys to her, it sent a chill down Yang's back.

She would never admit it to anyone, but really, Yang just needed to feel good about herself right now. This was the primary reason she was up and out so early in the morning. Riding her bike Bumblebee always calmed her nerves and raised her spirits. Her dad used to worry about her tendencies to ride recklessly when she was troubled, but the way she saw it, it was the opposite.

Whenever Yang's mind was in turmoil, once she placed her hands over the handlebars and took a seat on Bumblebee, her mind would clear. She couldn't put into words well. But if she were to give an explanation, it was because she truly cherished her bike. She was aware that one misstep was all it took for her to crash and trash her ride. As a result, whenever she rode, she was hyperalert and careful. The exact opposite of what she was yesterday.

"Now's about time," she whispered to herself. She checked the time on her bike's display. She took a sharp turn to the right, earning an angry shout from a pedestrian. She ignored it. As far she was concerned, she obeyed the rules of traffic and nobody got hurt. That's all that mattered.

She stopped in front of a street-side noodle bar. The stall was inspired by Anima-style architecture having a curved hip-and-gable roof. The walls were themed green and pale yellow. A white banner hung above showcasing two brothers standing before an ominous black tower. The words "A Simple Wok: Noodle House" wrapped around the image. A familiar bald old man manned the stall.

"I placed the order for four Rooster Special Ramens, to-go," Yang slid her hand over the counter and spoke her order.

The man nodded his head and presented her with a plastic bag. Inside were four elaborate-looking packaging boxes, specially designed to hold ramen in place. She placed a few bills on the counter and said, "Thanks. Keep the change." She was feeling generous today.

She popped open Bumblebee's trunk and stored her takeout. She readjusted her glasses, making a mental note to drive more slowly on the way back. She placed her foot on the gas pedal and sped away in a cloud of exhaust gas.

The old man behind the counter shook his head and blew away the smoke with his hand. He stared at the distant figure of Yang on her bike. He smiled to himself and returned his attention to his wok.

* * *

Yang felt something strange on her way back to Beacon. It felt similar to the sensation of being watched. She could distinctly feel something peer at her from afar, pricking her back. She looked around, but saw no one particularly interested in her. So, she just shook her head and continued driving.

As she neared the shopping district, an itch grew at the back of Yang's mind. Her right hand twitched. She had the insane urge to take the next right turn. Even though it would mean delaying her return to Beacon, she subconsciously wanted to take the turn.

She ignored it. It was too early to go see them anyway. All she would see would be a locked door with a sign that says closed. Store hours didn't start until a couple more hours. But just as Yang was about to go straight ahead, she turned right.

She couldn't deny what happened yesterday. Even if she was ashamed of the mistake she made, she had to face it head on. It was the only way to move forward. So, with steely eyes, she revved her engine, heading for Unlimited Blade Works. She needed to see Shirou and Illya again. One apology wasn't enough. She needed to tell them again just how sorry she was.

In the back of her mind, Yang knew that more words wouldn't change much. The best she could do was wait for Weiss to reimburse the store for the damages they caused. But sitting back and doing nothing just didn't sit well with her. Even if it was pointless, she needed to do something, something to show her sincerity.

But as she approached the weapons store, she felt another strange sensation reverberate across her mind.

 _You don't want to go to Unlimited Blade Works, right now._

Yang suddenly didn't want to go to Unlimited Blade Works. No, wait, she has to. It's the only way to ease her own guilt, right? No, she could do that a later time. But still! It's now or never. She needs to get it off her chest. No, she could stand to visit some time later, just not now. She doesn't want to disturb Shirou and Illya.

Against her own senses, Yang stubbornly parked before the weapons store. She stared at the crossed dao swords emblazoned on the glass window. A closed sign hanging on the door. She had been right. It was too early. Her eyes drifted upwards to the rooftop of the store but stopped.

 _You do not want to look at the rooftop. No matter what._

Yang suddenly didn't want to look at the rooftop no matter what. She shook her head. Why would she even need to look at the rooftop? There's nothing there for her to see. Nothing at all.

She sighed. "This was a waste of time"

The ramen would be getting cold at this rate. She had to get back to her teammates soon. With one last look at the closed store, Yang drove off, ignoring the itch at the back of her mind.

* * *

The garage door opened with a click and Yang slowly rode Bumblebee back to her parking spot. She got off her bike and took off her shades. She returned them to their case and pocketed them when she heard the door open.

"Yang?" An excitedly surprised voice called out to her.

She turned around to see her sister Ruby standing by the door, still in pajamas. She instantly noted the paler than normal color of her sister's skin. "Ruby, what's-"

But before she could finish, Ruby rocketed into her with a bear hug. The younger sister wrapped herself around the older sister, burying herself in her warmth. "Where were you? I woke up. But no one was there. Weiss and Blake were missing. I couldn't find anyone. And it was so, so cold. And I had-"

"Ruby calm down," Yang pleaded with the girl. "One thing at a time. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Weiss and Blake are probably still training."

She placed her hand over her sister's cheek. There was no mistake. Her sister's skin was abnormally cold. And yet, at the same time, there was some kind of residual warmth leaking out of her, somehow concentrated around her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, concern deep in her voice.

Ruby wiped off some eye crust off her eyelids. She smiled. "It's nothing. I'm just so glad to see you."

Yang frowned at that. Her instincts as Ruby's sister told her another story. Ruby was definitely hiding something. Perhaps skirting around a topic of fear. Well, no matter, she'd eventually get to the bottom of it. But for now…

"Cheer up, sis. I've got us covered." She popped open her bike's seat and revealed her goodies. "It's noodle time!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Next chapter will most likely feature the main characters having breakfast. Shirou and Illya's side with pancakes. Team RWBY with ramen. And another pair of siblings at a bar. Heh, the idea of breakfast being a recurring theme for the next chapter sounds so mundane. Well, I started this story with the intention of making it slightly slice of life. But well, eventually, this tranquil peace of eating Breakfast together, that'll come crashing down eventually.

The maneuver Weiss and Blake are perfecting is canon, so I didn't to have think too hard for the fight scene.

Thank you for reading.


	7. A Meal Together

_All around, the different pieces of the story gather for a meal together..._

Shirou peeled the torn remains of his tracksuit off his sweat-soaked skin. He discarded the bits of cloth into a bin. He might still be able to salvage something useful out of them. Living under a tight budget was crucial if Unlimited Blade Works were to stay afloat.

He breathed out an exhausted sigh. He wiped himself with a hand-towel, drying off his warm skin. But after a few motions with his wrist, his tendons ached. Feedback for activating his circuits for too long. Given time, his body would learn to adjust to the pain and he should be able to prolong their use.

But Shirou knew time wasn't a luxury they could afford for much longer. Someone would eventually find them, one way or another. It was only a matter of luck that they had survived so long under the radar.

There was a little knock at the door to his room. Without even waiting for his reply, Illya swung the door open, clad in the pink bathrobe Shirou bought for her a few days ago. Having just recently finished her bath, his sister radiated a sweet wintergreen fragrance. Their eyes met and Illya immediately recognized the pain he tried to hide.

"Shirou, let me help you," she said, snatching the towel before he could refuse.

"You just got clean, Illya. There's no point in having you dirty yourself," he tried to reason with her. He had worked up quite a sweat.

But Illya wouldn't have any of it and proceeded to wipe the sweat off his chest. "If it's Shirou, I don't really mind."

Shirou could feel her tiny hands through the thin layer of cloth, stroking his upper body dry. He did his best to compose himself, pretending to be ignorant of the sweet pheromones Illya was releasing. Luckily, the pain waving through his body provided more than apt of a distraction.

But then, his wayward thoughts were banished all together as Illya's hands lingered on one particular spot on his chest. A rough patch of his skin completely different from the rest of his body. A scar in the shape of a bursting star stretched over his left breast, mirroring the one behind his left shoulder blade. Eerie reminders of where a blade had once pierced him, straight through his heart.

"I'm… sorry…" Illya whispered for the umpteenth time. He had lost track of how many times she had apologized for this scar. He tried his best, like he always did.

"I know." Shirou smiled at her gently. "It's okay. I got better, didn't I?" He reminder her once more.

His words always seemed to do less and less in easing his sister's guilt. No matter how kind or how soft he would treat her, he could never truly calm her down. He had his suspicions, that in response to his kindness, Illya only felt guiltier.

Shirou's lips twisted into a frown when he saw the familiar look of sadness take root in Illya's eyes. It pained him immensely, to be incapable of mending the scars of guilt in her heart.

Illya's eyes never left the scar as she wiped it with her towel. The roughness and feel of the scar tissue, she knew them all too well. She could never bring herself to forgive her actions. Even if she hadn't been in the best state of mind, it was inexcusable.

Shirou tried to brush off their past as a simple quarrel between estranged siblings. But Illya saw it differently. She could not treat the past as nonchalantly as Shirou.

Before the pleasant tranquility they shared now, the two of them had once participated in a bloody ritual. A Holy Grail War. A grand magical conflict between seven Masters. Illya, as the Master of Berserker, killed Shirou, the Master of Saber, with her own two hands.

Illya's eyes tensed. For a moment, her vision blurred and instead of a towel, she was holding the icy cold hilt of a silver sword made of her own hair, driving it into Shirou's chest. His blood gurgled out of his limp body, spilling onto her coat's velvety sleeves, forever staining them.

"N-no, I didn't mean to. I didn't-"

Shirou took her hands into his, stopping her frightened yelp midway. He held her tightly, refusing to let go even as she struggled. The ringing pain in his wrists was suddenly inconsequential, not when Illya needed him.

Illya stopped, her ragged breath freezing. Warmth, Shirou's warmth, flowed into her pale hands.

He squeezed her hands even tighter. "I'm here right now, aren't I?" He whispered into her ears softly.

His words steadied her, bringing her back to the present. Relief spreading over her as she reaffirmed their present reality. They were here indeed, together. The two of them both alive, living in peace under the same roof.

They were in a different world now, a different time. There was no Holy Grail War to wage, nor was there any more familial angst to drive them apart. They were here, together, in a shop of their own design, making the best of their lives.

"Let's go get some breakfast," Shirou suggested.

"Hmm." Illya nodded, managing a tiny smile. She squeezed Shirou's hands tight.

* * *

Yang popped the lid off her bowl of ramen, releasing a wave of heavenly aroma into the air. Around her, her fellow teammates followed suit, opening their own servings. They sat together about a round table, in one of the vacant lounge rooms adjacent to the training simulator.

Weiss and Blake still smelled a little bit like sweat, even after washing off. But Yang didn't mind. She understood that need to blow off some steam so early in the morning. She herself had gone out on her motor bike for the same reason. Besides, exercise was good for the body in the morning anyway.

"So, Ruby, you were freaking out about something?" Yang prompted, slurping a bundle of noodles up into her mouth.

Ruby blew off some of the steam hovering above her bowl, before answering, "Right, I had this crazy dream and… and…?" She drifted off and tilted her head.

Everyone gazed at her, concerned and confused.

"I, huh, can't remember what I dreamed about," Ruby apologized, knocking her noggin a few times. "But I at least know it was scary and it was cold!" She asserted.

Her teammates all raised their brows at that. It was perfectly understandable to forget about one's dreams in the morning. There was just so much stuff going on in the actual day that information about a dream was easily lost.

But Ruby frowned hard. Discontent bubbling inside her. "I… I think it was important. I know it was but… Ngh, but I can't remember!" Ruby yelled, waving her free arm wildly, threatening to spill some of the contents of her bowl.

Weiss inched away from the girl, careful not to get any stains on her dress. "If it was that important, you wouldn't have forgotten about it in the first place, right?"

"Yeah," Blake backed her up. "It was probably just a bad dream."

Yang pondered about it. That terrified look she had seen on her sister's face, she just couldn't brush it off like it was nothing. It was so alarming at the time. And then there was the matter of how cold Ruby's body felt during their hug. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Ruby, if it's that important of a dream. I'm sure you'll remember it at some point," Yang decided to at least assuage her sister's troubles for the time being, but ultimately not discrediting them altogether.

The girl settled down, her lips still pouting in discomfort. "I guess you have a point…"

She slurped her noodles quietly. Her silver eyes digging into the bowl's colorful contents. Thick strands of noodles bathed in a brown broth. A thin slice of fish cake floating around them. Its red swirling design stood out from the rest of its pale white body. Red on a pale white body…

Ruby abruptly perked up. Thoughts of yesterday's unfortunate accident coming to mind. "So, what are we going to do about yesterday?"

The mood around their breakfast instantly took a nose dive. Weiss and Yang hung their heads down, staring into their bowls. Blake actively chewed on her slice of tuna, gingerly nibbling off the soft flesh. None of them had forgotten the events of the day before. How they took a person's faith in them and returned it with a dust explosion in the middle of their shop. Blake was technically free of any guilt, but she still felt the weight of their team's responsibility all the same.

Weiss coughed into her hand. "I'm arranging the dust reimbursement with my father's company later today. Just one call with one of my father's secretary and I should get a shipment of top SDC quality dust in a few nights."

The girls all nodded at that. It sounded like a good start as any.

"What about the monetary reimbursement though?" Blake asked.

"Yes, about that," Weiss placed her bowl onto the table. She clasped her hands together and wore a serious face. "I'm prepared to cover all of it, if splitting it proves to be too difficult." She directed her words straight towards Ruby and Yang.

The sisters shared a look before both of shook their heads in refusal. "Weiss, we got into this mess as a team and we're fixing it as a team too. We can split the cost three ways even," Yang said placing her bowl and chopsticks down as Ruby nodded her head.

"Make that four ways," Blake suddenly chimed in. Her teammates all gave her the same look. She hadn't even done anything. There was no reason for her to suffer the same consequences as them.

But Blake just smiled at them, undeterred. "We're a team, right? Together for better or worse. Besides, it's not like I don't owe you all for keeping my secret."

They all instantly understood the meaning behind those words. The three of them had just recently been made privy to Blake's true nature as a faunus. But still, that felt like more of a matter of courtesy between friends and teammates.

Ruby raised her hand. "But Blake you-"

"Want to help out Illya and Shirou just as much as the rest of you, right?" She shot the spunky girl's argument down before it could take flight.

Ruby held her tongue. She couldn't refuse her friend's earnest desire to help.

"Fine then," Weiss nodded. "We'll split the cost four ways." She looked about the table, inspecting everyone's expressions. One way or another, they all seemed content with the matter, leisurely returning their attention to their breakfast.

"By the way, do any of you know how much it would cost for us to cover half the expenses?" Weiss harmlessly asked her question as she slurped a few strands of her noodles.

"Hm?" Her teammates all stared at her in wonder.

Weiss took out her scroll and typed a number. She showed the screen to all her teammates. Their jaws promptly dropped. That sum of money was no laughing matter. If they used up their savings, they could probably somehow manage to pay it all off easily, but then that would mean…

"Is this gonna be our last time ordering takeout for breakfast?" Yang asked in a panic.

"For a while maybe, yes." Weiss answered calmly.

"Agh! No! How am I going to get this month's issue of Weapons Magazine?"

"You won't be, I imagine." Weiss shook her head.

"How am I going to buy my tuna rolls now?"

"Fish for the meat yourself, perhaps?" Weiss offered a suggession.

"You're awfully calm about this, huh, Weiss? Must be nice to have Daddy's wallet at your beck and call," Yang threw some shade at the only level-headed girl at present.

Weiss' calm demeanor twitched at the blonde's needlessly sharp words. "Calm yourselves. There's a simple way for us to earn some extra cash without sacrificing any of our personal pleasures," Weiss reasoned with her distraught friends.

"I am not getting a part time job. Sorry, Weiss, I think we've already ruined enough shops this semester break," Ruby protested.

Blake nodded at those words. She wouldn't be trusting any of her teammates to hold a job for a long time.

"Relax your forgetful little head, Ruby. Feast your eyes on this!" Weiss pulled out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. It was a poster with the Vytal Festival Emblem drawn on the header.

The girls all studied the contents of the paper. A grin spread across each of their faces. Perhaps they wouldn't have to be living under such a tight budget after all.

* * *

"What's for breakfast?"

Ozpin inquired with his trusted advisor and friend, Glynda Goodwitch. He sat before his desk, studying the images Qrow had sent displayed on the screen. A mug of his favorite brew of coffee was perched on his desk next to a stack of papers, reports of increased Grimm aggression in the outskirts of Vale. Digital transcripts were available of these reports, but Ozpin found that there was often something more to be found in the eccentricities of handwritten reports.

He yawned and took another gulp of his coffee. The miracle drink was the only reason he hadn't collapsed of exhaustion yet, even managing to pull an all-nighter. In fact, he had been so entranced with his work that it was only when his stomach growled like a feral rooster that he realized it was already morning.

A plate of piping hot toast and sunny-side-up eggs was placed on his desk. Ozpin breathed in the sizzling sweet smell of breakfast. A chair was placed on the other side of his desk and Glynda took her seat, her own plate of breakfast before her.

"Just the basic meal. I told the cooking staff we wouldn't be having too heavy a meal this morning," Glynda answered Ozpin's question, slicing her eggs. The yellow lake of yolk flooding into the egg whites.

Ozpin stuffed his mouth with a spoonful of food. He truly had to be grateful for his friend's thoughtfulness. When they functioned as Beacon Academy staff members, they maintained the proper decorum of Headmaster and Teacher, but behind closed doors, the two of them were, first and foremost, friends. Trusted individuals who shared the same goal.

"I believe you've already browsed Qrow's reports more than enough times," Glynda commented, worried of the bags hidden by Ozpin's glasses. "Surely if there were anything more to look for, it would be another message from Qrow?"

"No, no new messages from Qrow," Ozpin murmured, staring at the way the damage of the cottage had been laid out. "But if you study the way the walls collapsed, you'll gain a certain perspective of how things might have transpired."

"What do you mean?" Glynda asked. She had seen her fair share of rubble. She even had the Semblance capable of undoing it, rewinding the time of objects to their previous state. She'd done it enough times to fix her students' messes.

"From the documents of the cottage's defenses James sent us, we learned that the wooden walls were actually fortified with Atlesian Steel plating. If the cottage had been under siege, the walls would serve be reinforced to act as their best means of defense. But that works as a double-edge sword," Ozpin mused, taking a bite out of his toast with a crunch.

Glynda chewed on her own slice of toast as she gave it some thought. "Anyone inside the cottage would be trapped. The walls built for their protection would become a cage."

"Exactly. Look here, see that hole in the wall? Notice how the furniture around remained unscathed. I would hazard to guess that whoever broke the wall did it from the inside."

"But that would mean, the Maiden voluntarily decided to meet the enemy on their own terms."

Ozpin raised a brow. "Or that they had tried to escape."

"What do you mean?"

"This wall, from the blueprints we have, is said to lead out to a cliff. A fall from atop a mountain of that height would kill the average human."

"But not a maiden or hunstman."

"Yes," Ozpin nodded, a small amount of hope building within him. "There's a chance the maiden escaped or at least attempted to."

Glynda drank from her cup of tea. Its aroma quarreling with Ozpin's coffee. "I suppose it's a possibility. But this is all still just baseless conjecture on our part."

"Indeed, we still have to consider the worst-case scenario…"

The two of them took a break from their work, choosing instead to focus on their meal. They silently ate their breakfast, basking in the quiet of the morning. Their work never seemed to calm, but for the moment, they could at least enjoy each other's company.

"By the way, there was a report about Team RWBY yesterday," Glynda brought up. She knew the headmaster had taken a special interest in that group of first year students.

"Oh? I suppose it was more trouble on their part?"

"Yes…" She sighed, wrinkling her forehead. "They caused a dust explosion in the middle of a shop downtown."

Ozpin shook his head at his students' antics. "How was the damage?"

"Not too bad. The explosion was concentrated at a single spot, burning through the wooden floor. The store's sprinkler system prevented any spread of fire and the alarms worked to alert the firemen. The store's wares were said to be in discord though." Glynda read off the report from her scroll.

"What kind of shop was it?" Ozpin asked harmlessly out of curiosity.

"A weapons shop by the name of Unlimited Blade Works."

Ozpin blanked at those words. He set his mug of coffee down and looked at Glynda in the eye.

"I beg your pardon?"

* * *

In the far north of Anima, right at the base of snow-covered lands, there was a village called Asagao. Its population was sparse, but it was still by far the largest settlement in the Northern section of the continent. It was only a day of travel away from Lake Matsu, making it the ideal the trade and commerce hub of the north.

There was a certain bar hidden within the shady sections of Asagao village. It was a drinking establishment famed for hosting many not so legal activities. The kind of rats nest where scumbags of every kind liked to frequent, peddling illegal goods of all sorts.

In the corner of this bar, a man slept on one of the tables. His face planted hard against the wooden table surface so that none of his face could be seen. His black hair was slicked back messily, and he loosely clutched a half-empty glass of rum in his right hand. His other hand was left dangling to the floor, much like the red cape he wore with his gray-white outfit.

None of the other patrons or bar staff paid him any heed. It was common courtesy around these parts to mind one's own business, else one might find themselves on the receiving end of dust-loaded gun.

The door to the bar was swung open and a woman in black and red outfit wearing a pale white mask entered. Her wild raven black locks were tied in a pony tail, bouncing up and down as she approached the sleeping drunk in the corner.

The man groaned in his sleep. His eyes groggily opened. He craned up to meet the menacing face of a four-eyed Grimm. He cracked open a sly grin. "So, you came."

He hunched up, stretching his arms and beckoning the woman to take a seat. "It's been a while since we last met face-to-face, Raven."

Raven Branwen slowly took a seat at the man's table. "Qrow. You smell like crap."

Qrow Branwen raised his shoulders. "I've been busy." He wore an amicable enough of a smile, but then he clicked his tongue and switched gears, making a stern glare. "You can do away with the pesky Grimm mask, Raven. No one here you need to impress."

She tilted her head, glancing at the many shady patrons keeping an eye on her. Still, she also felt the impression that none of them would dare approach them. So, she pressed the buttons on her mask and slipped it off.

Red eyes and pale white skin. The characteristic features of the Branwen Tribe's blood. Raven and Qrow's faces were once said to be two sides of the same coin. But now, that could hardly be the case.

"You wanted to see me. Why?" Raven demanded.

Qrow's message was ambiguous but urgent. It held little to no details, only a time and place. But the words he did leave in sounded dead serious and almost pleading.

"I need the tribe's resources. I'm looking for someone and whoever they are, they're covering their tracks pretty well," Qrow explained, gripping his glass tightly.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Raven narrowed her eyes at her brother. "For someone who abandoned the tribe to ask for help like this, you must truly be desperate."

Qrow frowned. He took a sip of his rum and swallowed it hard. "I am. I know you left Oz's circle a long time ago, but you need to know something big has happened again. Promise me you won't blab to the enemy's side."

Raven just raised her brow. Her humorless demeanor alone said that consorting with the enemy was the last thing on her mind.

Qrow understood this, just like how he understood how his sister operated. She would always do whatever was best for the Tribe, even at the cost of outsiders. A little spilt blood was of no consequence, so long as the Tribe thrived.

"Another one of the Maidens has been hit. Winter's base was attacked atop the northern slopes," Qrow said.

"I see." Raven only nodded her head. This kind of news was indeed grave, but it wasn't unprecedented. She knew for a fact that Fall and Spring had already been compromised. Ozpin losing another Maiden was only a matter of time.

This was why she had originally left their game anyway. Ozpin's side didn't stand a chance of winning. And now, the stakes were stacked against them even further.

"So, you want my Tribe's resources, our information network, to track down the perpetrators who assaulted Winter?" Raven surmised Qrow's request before he could even ask. She also knew him well, after all.

"What'll it be?" Qrow nodded.

"I think, that you should leave Oz's little circle before it's too late. If you're already three maidens down, then you have no hope of winning now." Raven shook her head, in cold refusal.

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "How do you know we've lost _three_ maidens?"

A single bead of sweat began to form behind Raven's back.

"I personally told you about the attacks on Fall and Winter. But I never mentioned anything about a third Maiden," Qrow elaborated. His voice rank with suspicion.

Raven only shook her head. "Didn't you want to see me for the tribe's information network? Of course, we already know of Spring's loss."

There was a tense stare down between the twin siblings. Neither of the two willing to break away from the other's gaze. But with just a look, the two of them understood. Qrow knew Raven was hiding something and Raven knew Qrow suspected her. They just knew each other too well that trying to hide one thing from the other was near impossible.

"Right, right." Qrow chuckled into his glass of rum. "Of course, you'd know about that already."

Raven nodded, wondering why Qrow chose to back down.

"So, about my request," Qrow prompted once more.

"Fine. I'll see if we've found any mysterious activities on our end." Raven finally relented, if only to get Qrow's suspicions off her back.

"Thanks, sis. You're the best," Qrow wryly smiled. "Make sure to check any and all transport ships leaving Anima air space."

"I know." Raven picked up her mask and put it back on. There transaction had finished. There was no longer any need to stay in Qrow's company any further. She was about halfway to the door when she heard a whistle behind her back.

"Be careful out there, Raven," Qrow said seriously as she glanced back.

Behind her white mask, Raven smiled wryly. She continued her way out, but not before saying, "Get some breakfast, drunk."

Qrow raised a brow as he watched Raven exit the bar. He held up his glass and stared at the last drops of rum in the bottom. "What do you think _this_ is?"

Breakfast with the Branwen Twins, a strange phenomenon that usually occurred in the middle of shady bars. It hadn't always been this way, but it was the way things currently were, for better or worse.

* * *

"It smells delicious, Shirou!"

Illya cheered loudly as she studied the much-talked-about pancakes before her. Three large pieces, golden brown and stacked high, drenched in amber-colored syrup. A square of butter sat atop the stack, melting over the pancakes.

"Let's just hope it tastes as good as it looks," Shirou said, taking a seat opposite to Illya. He had his own plate of pancakes, but he prepared one more plate of pancakes and placed it between the two of them on the table.

" _Itadakimasu_." They both said together before digging right in. It was a force of habit on Shirou's part, one he couldn't let go of even when they arrived at Remnant. Illya, on the other hand, had been more than happy to follow his example and just developed the habit as they ate more and more meals together.

"It's delicious!" Illya cooed, touching her cheeks. She chewed her food slowly, savoring the texture and softness to the cake, while also relishing in the sweet rustic taste. The pancake alone was good enough on its own, but the butter and syrup added an extra depth of flavor and sweetness.

Illya dug into her food ravenously. Having built-up a considerable appetite from their morning spar, this kind of behavior was to be expected. But the sheer deliciousness of Shirou's pancakes helped a great deal to stir up her appetite.

Shirou enjoyed himself as he watched the reactions play out on his sister's face. He always loved to watch people react to his cooking. It validated all the effort and discipline he put into preparing the food.

But these pancakes, they weren't even in their final form yet.

"Illya, try one of these pancakes," Shirou nudged the extra plate towards Illya.

"Fue, are these ones different, Shirou?" Illya picked one up and placed it on her plate. From the weight and texture of the cake alone, it was different. This one also gave off quite a nostalgic smell.

"Yeah, I placed some extra ingredients into the batter for these ones," Shirou explained, taking one of the special pancakes for himself. "If you slice through it, you'll notice some of the differences."

Illya didn't hesitate. She sliced a piece off and took a bite. The difference in flavor instantly kicked her senses into high gear. That tantalizing inconsistency in the cake, the waves of robust flavor assaulting her taste buds. The nostalgic scene of a snowy forest played in her mind. She heard the distant echoes of a little girl screaming in delight as she ran through the forest, playing a game with a man in black,

"Walnuts…" Illya murmured softly.

"Yeah…" Shirou nodded. When he was cooking the pancakes, he searched through their pantry for any viable ingredients. Then a story he heard from Illya came to mind, a story from her childhood, about a game she and Kiritsugu used to play. A search for walnuts through the forest.

"Hm, well, to be exact, those aren't walnuts. They're Remnatnt's closest equivalent to walnuts. I had to make do," Shirou apologized light-heartedly,

All the same, Illya just shook her head. "Thank you, _Onii-chan…_ " Illya smiled serenely.

Seeing that smile, Shirou thought it was worth the extra effort to make another batch of pancakes. "You're welcome, Illya."

* * *

Author's Note:

A pretentious first line at the beginning of every chapter. I can see how that started out, but honestly, I'd rather stop that... even this chapter's first line was forcing it.

I am keenly aware of how slice-of-life this stuff is. Good god, everyone just had breakfast. I'm a bad writer, okay? The infrequent updates is proof enough.

That said, how are you all? It's been a really long time since the last update, huh. Well, it'd be nice if at least one person still found this chapter enjoyable. That's the most I can ask for.

The idea for walnut pancakes is credited to Yoshiki-909. I finally used it!

Also, updates will still be infrequent because of college.

Thank you for reading.


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